The opening Test of the two-match series between India and South Africa will be played at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 14. The contest promises to be a thrilling one – South Africa’s skipper Temba Bavuma has never lost a Test as captain, while India has suffered only one defeat at this venue in the last 25 years.
Shubman Gill, meanwhile, has led India to victory in both home Tests he has captained so far.
Rishabh Pant is set to return to India’s playing XI after recovering from injury, and Dhruv Jurel is also expected to feature in the side. Nitish Kumar Reddy, however, has been released from the squad. Given the pitch conditions at Eden Gardens, India is likely to field three spinners and two pacers.
India’s Test Record in Kolkata
Eden Gardens has been one of Indian cricket’s most iconic venues, hosting its first Test in 1934. It took India 38 years to register their maiden win here – in 1972. However, the team has enjoyed remarkable success at the venue in recent decades.
Since a defeat to Pakistan in 1999, India has played 12 Tests at Eden Gardens, winning eight, losing just once, and drawing three. The only loss in this period came against England in 2012, when the visitors won by seven wickets.
Overall, India has featured in 42 Tests at the venue – winning 13, losing 9, while 20 have ended in draws.
Notable Test Records at Eden Gardens
Highest Team Total: India – 657/7 declared vs Australia (2001)
Most Runs at Eden Gardens (Top 5):
VVS Laxman – 1217
Rahul Dravid – 962
Sachin Tendulkar – 872
Mohammad Azharuddin – 860
Dilip Vengsarkar – 645
Most Wickets at Eden Gardens (Top 5):
Harbhajan Singh – 46
Anil Kumble – 40
Bishan Singh Bedi – 29
Kapil Dev – 27
Mohammad Shami – 23
Match Details
Dates: November 14–18, 2025
Toss: 9:00 AM IST
Play Starts: 9:30 AM IST
Live Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: JioHotstar app and website
India Squad: Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer.
