India vs South Africa Toss, Playing 11 Update: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss against India at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Friday and elected to bat first.
After winning the toss, Temba Bavuma said: We will have a chance to bat. The boys have just returned from Pakistan. I was with the team. In terms of preparation, we have tried our best. It is not an opportunity to play in front of 50,000-60,000 spectators every day. So, I am eagerly waiting for the challenge. Coming back to India, it is always an eye-opener. I am eagerly waiting for everything. At the moment (being the World Test Champions) everything is going well. Hopefully, nothing will really change. Performance-wise, work with a lot more pride. But to continue what we have been doing. The pitch looks quite dry. Not much grass. It’s a typical Indian wicket. The first innings runs are the main thing. Rabada has missed, Corbin Bosh has come in his place.
Meanwhile, India captain Shubman Gill said: It seems like a good surface. There’s something for the fast bowlers at least. The dressing room is good. This team is very hungry. This Test series is very important. There will be some turns during the game. Rishabh has come in for Reddy and Axar is also back.
India vs South Africa XI
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wian Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Georgie, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Vereen (wicketkeeper), Simon Harmer, Marco Janssen, Corbin Bosh, Keshav Maharaj.
The Eden Gardens wicket in India is considered one of the most pace-friendly surfaces and the wicket in this Test has a noticeably dry, straw-toned appearance. Fast bowlers are expected to benefit early on, especially on the first two days when the pitch will provide carry and movement. However, the surface is likely to wear down as the match progresses, leading to the spinners coming into the game from day three.
IND vs SA Squads:
India Squad: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Georgie, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Vereen (w), Simon Harmer, Marco Janssen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosh, Senuran Muthusamy, Zubair Hamza, Willian Muthusamy.
South Africa squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal, Akash Deep.