India faces a stern test in two-match home series against South Africa

By Canadian Press on November 12, 2025.

Shubman Gill’s India lineup faces a stern challenge against World Test Championship winner South Africa in a two-match series starting Friday at the historic Eden Gardens.

As well as a change of the initially scheduled venue to avoid the serious air pollution in New Delhi, the series will feature a change of sessions times to account for natural light.

The second test will be played from Nov. 22 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which hosted multiple games in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup but will become a men’s test venue for the first time.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India reversed session timings for the second test, starting a half-hour earlier than usual at 9 a.m. local time and taking the tea break — the shorter of the two regulation intervals per day of test cricket — at 11 a.m. and the lunch break at 1.20 p.m. Stumps is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time.

The move is to make ample use of daylight in northeastern India, where the sun sets earlier than most of India’s other test match venues. The series-opening test at Kolkata will have the regular session timing.

Air quality

New Delhi was slated to host a test but the BCCI changed the schedule to avoid any issues with air pollution.

Under conditions this week, the capital wouldn’t be permitted to host international cricket because of the poor air quality. Kolkata’s air quality is deemed to be in the moderate range, and Guwahati is considered to be OK in a green zone.

The venues are likely to encourage a tactical change, too. Pace bowlers will come into focus a lot more, breaking the recent trend of spin-friendly dust bowls that have been used for India’s home tests.

Pace, with spin thrown in

“I think it will be good wickets that will deteriorate as the game goes on – more of your traditional test wickets from what we see,” South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj said.

Reflecting on India’s series win last month over West Indies, he said the wickets were good into Day 4 or 5.

“I do believe that the sort of narrative is changing. India is a wonderful team and they have come a long way with the transition,” Maharaj said. “I think they want to go with good cricket wickets, judging from the previous series.”

India beat West Indies 2-0 in that series, with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav the leading bowler with 12 wickets. But it wasn’t all about spin – pace bowler Mohammed Siraj also picked up 10 wickets. The second test in Delhi went into Day 5, with India nearly struggling to get West Indies out twice on a slow turner.

Meanwhile, South Africa drew a two-test series in Pakistan 1-1. Yet there was a key point to note for India – the Proteas spinners picked up 33 of the 40 wickets available. Off-spinner Simon Harmer took 13 wickets in two tests.

Maharaj played only the second test and took nine wickets in South Africa’s win.

India’s overhaul

India remains wary of this spin threat after New Zealand won 3-0 here a year ago. It was one of the most sensational wins in recent test cricket with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner snaring 13 wickets in a single test for New Zealand. Ajaz Patel took 15 across three matches for India.

That home defeat – a first since 2012 – ushered India’s transition. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from cricket’s longest format. Pace bowler Mohammed Shami is out of consideration. The new, young regime – under Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir – did well enough to hold England to a draw away. With a firm eye on the 2027 World Test Championship, this new-look India squad is ready to script a new chapter and a fresh methodology to victory.

While conscious of spin, from a bowling perspective it is a first contest between the seamers. Siraj, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, will go up against Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder. India’s batting lineup is at full strength with the return of Rishabh Pant, who dazzled English crowds this past summer.

Temba Bavuma, who led South Africa to its maiden ICC win in June against former champion Australia, is back at the helm and aiming for a first test series win in India in 25 years.

Dewald Brevis is quickly catching attention among Indian fans after his Indian Premier League exploits and they will have a chance to witness him in white uniform, too.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Chetan Narula, The Associated Press