India and South Africa are set to clash in the next Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Friday, 14 November 2025. The match will begin at 04:00 AM BST, 09:30 AM IST, and 10:00 AM local time as both teams aim to take control of this highly competitive Test series.
Match Details
• Match: India vs South Africa, Test Match, South Africa tour of India 2025
• Date: Friday, 14 November 2025
• Time: 04:00 AM BST | 09:30 AM IST | 10:00 AM Local
• Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
• Broadcast:
India – Star Sports
Pakistan – Ten Sports, PTV Sports
UK – Sky Sports Cricket
Australia – Fox Sports
South Africa – SuperSport
USA – Willow TV
• Streaming:
India – Disney+ Hotstar
Pakistan – PTV Sports App
South Africa – SuperSport App
UK – Sky Go
USA – Willow App
Team Overviews
India
India enter this Test with solid form in 2025. They have played eight Tests this year, registering four wins, one draw, and three losses. Despite a difficult tour of Australia earlier in the year, they improved significantly afterward. Drawing 2-2 in England and winning 2-0 against West Indies has rebuilt their confidence.
Shubman Gill has been exceptional as captain and batter, scoring five hundreds in seven games this year. Ravindra Jadeja continues to be a match-winner with both bat and ball, and Rishabh Pant’s return adds energy and stability to the middle order. India’s bowling attack remains strong, led by Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, who have delivered consistent breakthroughs.
Playing at home, India will rely on their strong spin group while expecting their batters to adapt quickly to the pitch conditions. Their middle order lacks some experience, making Gill and Pant crucial in building partnerships.
South Africa
The defending World Test Champions have shown strong resilience this year. After losing the first Test to Pakistan, they bounced back immediately to level the series. This is one of their strongest squads in recent years, and they have arrived in India determined to challenge the home side.
Ryan Rickelton has been their standout batter of 2025, averaging over 72 with a double hundred earlier in the year. Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram provide stability at the top. Their bowling attack has variety and depth, with Kagiso Rabada spearheading the pace unit and the experienced spin duo of Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj capable of troubling Indian batters in turning conditions.
South Africa’s challenge will be handling India’s spinners and adapting quickly to subcontinental surfaces, where the ball behaves differently as the match progresses.
Key Players to Watch
India:
Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant
South Africa:
Ryan Rickelton, Simon Harmer, Tony de Zorzi
Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches)
India – 2 wins
South Africa – 3 wins
South Africa have had the upper hand in recent meetings, but all five of those matches were played in South Africa. With this match in Indian conditions, the balance shifts significantly.
Probable Playing XIs
India:
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav
South Africa:
Temba Bavuma (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada
Pitch Report – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
The Eden Gardens surface has produced competitive Test matches from 2010 to 2025. First innings scores average around 295, while teams often score higher in the second innings. The pitch begins firm but becomes excellent for batting once it settles. By the third innings, run scoring remains possible, but the pitch starts breaking down.
The fourth innings becomes extremely difficult, with an average of just 104. The spin bowlers tend to dominate late in the match, although pacers also receive assistance due to reverse swing.
Historically, teams batting second have won twice as often as those batting first, making the toss important. The ball grips more for spinners as the match goes on, and uneven bounce becomes a factor.
Probable Scenarios
• Second innings could be the best time for batting.
• Spin will dominate the last two days.
• Fast bowlers will be effective early with the new ball and later with reverse swing.
• A score above 350 in the first innings will put the chasing team under pressure.
Match Predictions
• Toss Winner: South Africa
• Match Winner: India
• Top Batter: Dhruv Jurel (India), Tony de Zorzi (South Africa)
• Top Bowler: Jasprit Bumrah (India), Simon Harmer (South Africa)
• Most Sixes: Rishabh Pant (India), Ryan Rickelton (South Africa)
• Player of the Match: Dhruv Jurel
• Team Score Batting First: India 350+, South Africa 280+