The stage is set for another important bilateral series in World Test Championships 2025-27 as hosts India take on South Africa in a 2-match Test series starting on 14th November 2025. For this series, the venues will be in the Eastern Part of the country with Kolkata hosting the first Test match and Guwahati in the North East is set to host the second Test match.
India will be led by Shubman Gill and will be wanting to get full points and move upwards in the points table. This will be their third series in this WTC cycle and although it is early days, you do not want to lose games when you are playing at home as that can prove to be costly. India found that out against New Zealand in the last cycle as they lost 0-3 at home. South Africa, on the other hand, led by Temba Bavuma will be playing their second series in this cycle and will be confident of doing well in this upcoming series.
The stage is set for an epic battle in this short but important 2-Test series between India and South Africa starting very shortly.
Overview
So, the stage is set for an epic battle as India hosts defending champions South Africa in a 2-Test match series. This series is called the Freedom Series for the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Trophy. The first Test match takes place at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata starting on 14th November 2025. It is the battle of equals as South Africa will be no pushovers in this particular series for sure.
India under Shubman Gill will be playing their third series under this new WTC cycle. India started off with an honourable 2-2 draw against England in England in a 5-Test match series before blanking West Indies 2-0 at home in a 2-Match Test series in the month of October. India with the results that they have achieved are currently placed 3rd in the points table and will want to garner points to move upwards in the table.
The Indian team boasts of a nice mixture of youth and experience with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul in the ranks to open the batting. Sai Sudharsan will bat at 3 with captain Gill batting at 4. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant returns to the Test side and will bat at Number 5 coming from injury. Ravindra Jadeja, India’s Number One all-rounder will bat at 6, with the in-form Dhruv Jurel at 7 followed by Washington Sundar at 8. Kuldeep Yadav is expected to play an important role alongside seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Akash Deep is likely to sit out of this fixture one feels although the game is in his hometown of Eden Gardens.
Looking at the team, India seems to have all bases covered, but need to be wary of the South African threats as there are many of them who will pose a threat. Yes, playing at home India might start as favourites but South Africa cannot be underestimated by any means and will come hard at India for sure and will be confident after their performances in the recently concluded series against Pakistan where the three spinners looked in red hot form.
South Africa on the other hand, will be led by their inspirational leader Temba Bavuma who comes back after missing the Pakistan series due to an injury. South Africa are playing their second series in WTC cycle and are in 5th place in the points table. They will also want to win and beat India to climb upwards in the points table which they can with the team they have. Let’s not forget they are the reigning defending WTC champions and so must be given a lot of respect by the opposition. They are coming off an honourable 1-1 draw against Pakistan in Pakistan after winning the last Test match to level the series in Rawalpindi.
The vice-captain of the side Aiden Markram will start upfront with Ryan Rickelton. Wiaan Mulder is likely to bat at 3 followed by captain Bavuma at 4. They have got all bases covered with Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs part of the squad. There is Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada with ball in hand with Jansen being an all-rounder. South Africa has three quality spinners in Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy. They have it in them to threaten India and will fancy their chances against an Indian batting that can be nervy at times.
So, the stage is set for an intriguing battle between bat and ball at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and we shall wait and watch as to which team comes out on top.
Head-To-Head.Â
India and South Africa have faced each other in 44 games with India winning 16 off them and South Africa 18. 10 matches have ended in a draw. In the last 10 matches, it is 6-4 in India’s favour. Overall, South Africa have their noses in front. India have a better record in India against the Proteas.
Pitch & Weather Report.Â
The pitch at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata is expected to provide a balanced contest. Early morning moisture might help the seamers, with bowlers of both sides likely to get some swing and movement. As the sun hardens the surface, batting will become easier, allowing stroke-makers to play more freely. By the third and fourth days, the pitch should begin to turn which will bring the spinners of both sides into the game.
There is no threat of rain from November 14 to 18. Temperatures will range from a cool 18 degrees Celsius in the mornings to about 30 degrees Celsius in the afternoons, while humidity will hover around 60-70%. A light breeze is expected to flow across the ground, keeping conditions pleasant for players and spectators alike. Mornings may start with a hint of haze, especially during the first three days, but skies will clear as the day progresses. This ideal weather means there should be no interruptions due to rain or bad light, ensuring fans get to enjoy a full five days of cricket.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both sides.
Here, we will try and predict the playing XIs of both sides.
India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash.Â
Shubman Gill: The Indian captain has been in rich vein of form when it comes to the longest format of the game. After scoring 4 hundreds which included a double ton and 754 runs in England, Gill managed to score a half-century and a century against West Indies. In this crunch series, Gill the batter has to help out Gill the captain. If Gill gets runs with willow in hand, it will help him captain the side a lot better and he will aim to do well.
Ravindra Jadeja: India’s Number one all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been in good form as well with bat and ball in hand. In England, he did a holding job with the ball before scoring important runs for his side to make sure the series finishes at 2-2 and not in favour of England. Jadeja had a good series against the West Indies scoring a hundred and picking up important wickets. With this series in India, Jadeja will hope to take wickets and score runs to help the team do well.
Aiden Markram: Aiden Markram is a gun batter at the top of the order. We have seen time and again him leading from the front with bat in hand and will want to do the same again in this series. He had a quiet series against Pakistan and will want to get runs against India. Who can’t forget his heroics in the WTC final against Australia at Lord’s where he scored a majestic ton to lead his side in a 280+ chase. He will want to start the series well.
Keshav Maharaj: One of the important cogs in the wheel for South Africa is their left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. With conditions expected to help spin, Maharaj will be a threat along with his other two spinners. Since, Maharaj is the experienced of the three and had a 6-wicket haul in the second Test against Pakistan, he will want to do well and trouble the Indians as well. He has the bowling and India can be nervy at times against spin bowling.
Key Stats/Records that we have to watch out for in this clash.Â
- Shubman Gill is 21 runs away from completing 1000 Test runs in 2025.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal is 72 runs away from completing 2500 Test runs.
- KL Rahul is 15 runs away from completing 4000 Test runs.
- Ravindra Jadeja is 10 runs away from completing 4000 Test runs.
Predicted Outcome of the Match.Â
It is too close to call this match as anything can happen in a game of cricket. Eden Gardens produces pitches that can be challenging at times. So, we have to wait and see how things pan out and how both teams adapt to the conditions on offer. This is a game of equals and can go either ways. But if we have to pick a winner or favourite, then we will give India a slight edge as they are playing at home and will know the conditions a bit better than their opposition.
But South Africa will be no pushovers and will come all guns blazing. A terrific game awaits us all in the City of Joy Kolkata. South Africa can stun India. Let’s see how this fixture pans out in the coming days where both teams won’t give an inch.
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