The action between India and South Africa gets underway with the first Test match at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, November 14, 2025. Both teams are gearing up for the prospect of an exciting contest, with India working on continuing their good home record and South Africa looking to challenge them with their pace attack. India Team India will march into the series filled with a lot of confidence, having come out on top against the West Indies in their last Test series. The squad is well-balanced, comprising experienced batters, quality spinners, and fine pacers. At the top order, you will find some of the prominent players who will take the batting duties, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill. In addition to that, the spinning resources like Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja could use the advantage of home conditions. India, meanwhile, will pin their hopes on their strength in spin and a strong batting lineup as they look to keep their winning streak intact at home. South Africa South Africa arrives for the series with a mixed result against Pakistan, having won a Test and lost the other. The team's pace attack is still its biggest weapon, with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen leading it. With all-rounders like Senuran Muthusamy and Wiaan Mulder, South Africa can rival India in almost all departments of the game. Their batters will have to acclimatize quickly to the conditions and nullify the spin threat if they are to remain competitive. The visitors would like a good start to make a statement in this important away series. IND vs SA 1st Test Match Details IND vs SA Match Details Match India vs South Africa 1st Test Match Date and Time Friday, November 14; 09:30 a.m. IST Venue Eden Gardens, Kolkata Broadcasting and live streaming Stars Sports Network and JioHotstar (app and website) IND vs SA 1st Test Pitch Report The wicket at Eden is expected to promise fine batting in the initial days and gradually start assisting the spinners as the game wears on. The batters will have to adjust with both pace and spin with every passing day. IND vs SA 1st Test Weather Report The weather is expected to remain warm and humid throughout the entire match, with no rain predicted anytime. The conditions are expected to be warm for this match on the final day, with the highest temperature expected to hit nearly 30°C during the day. IND vs SA Head-to-Head Records IND vs SA head-to-head (in Tests) Match Played 44 Won by India 16 Won by South Africa 18 Draw 10 No Result 0 PAK vs SA 1st Test Probable XI India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (vc/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer Players To Watch Out For In the IND vs SA 1st Test Match Yashasvi Jaiswal | IND: The young southpaw, who is known for his attacking style of play, is a player to watch out for from team India in the series opener. In 49 innings, Jaiswal has amassed 2428 runs at an average of 51.65. Recently, he scored 67 and 156 in a Ranji game against Rajasthan and he is expected to carry his form against Proteas as well. Simon Harmer | SA: The 36-year-old off-break spinner, Simon Harmer, will pose a threat against India in the sub-continent conditions. Simon is coming in this series with wickets in his bag, having picked up 13 wickets in last two Tests against Pakistan. Moreover, in 2015, Simon picked up 10 wickets in two matches, when he last toured India. The current batch of Indian batters have not played against him yet and hence, his mystery can trouble the Indian players. IND vs SA 1st Test Toss Prediction Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue In the last three Test matches played at this venue, the teams that won the toss have opted to bowl once and bat on two occasions. Advantages of Bowling First on This Pitch In the last three matches played at this venue, the teams batting first and bowling first have won a match each, while one match ended in a draw. However, considering the conditions at Eden Gardens, bowling first at this venue will be beneficial. IND vs SA Today's Match Scenario Scenario 1 Toss Winner: India (opts to bowl first) SA 1st Innings: 300-330 SA 2nd Innings: 260-280 Match Winner: India Scenario 2 Toss Winner: South Africa (opts to bowl first) IND 1st Innings: 330-360 IND 2nd Innings: 310-330 Match Winner: India Who will win today's IND vs SA Test match? India is expected to win the 1st Test at the Eden Gardens. Their powerful spin attack and long-standing home record clearly tip scales in their favour as compared to South Africa.