In preparation for the forthcoming two-match series against South Africa, India’s Test team has started to gather in Kolkata. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, and captain Shubman Gill were among the first to arrive at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Sunday night.
Just one day has passed since India’s five-match Twenty20 International series against Australia came to an end, with the final match being canceled in Sydney on November 8. Gill, Gambhir, and other team members took a direct flight from Australia to Kolkata to begin preparations for the red-ball leg because they had limited time for recuperation or switching between forms.
Gill will lead the team, and Rishabh Pant, who has been sidelined by injury for almost two years, makes his eagerly awaited return to Test cricket as vice-captain.
Full-fledged training sessions are set to start on Tuesday at Eden Gardens, with the remaining members of the squad, including KL Rahul, Pant, and Dhruv Jurel, slated to reach the camp later on Monday. The first Test is scheduled to begin on November 14 and the second Test is set to be held in Guwahati from November 22.
India’s attention is now completely focused on the World Test Championship (WTC) following a mixed trip of Australia in which they lost the ODI series but won the T20Is 2-1 under Suryakumar Yadav. For both India’s campaign and Pant’s comeback to the longest format, the home series against South Africa is very significant.
Pant last played in a Test match against England in Manchester, where he was hit by Chris Woakes and sustained a severe foot injury. The wicketkeeper-batter has since undergone considerable rehabilitation and has steadily returned to domestic cricket. His calm 90-run effort in the opening game of the recent unofficial Tests between India A and South Africa A at the BCCI Center of Excellence further proved his preparedness.
The upcoming Tests carry significant weight for India’s World Test Championship campaign. Rohit Sharma’s side is well-placed on the points table after a gritty 2-2 draw in England and a commanding home series win over the West Indies earlier this year. When these two teams last met, in December 2023–January 2024, the series ended 1-1 — South Africa triumphed in Centurion before India hit back in Cape Town to square the contest.
During the Proteas’ last tour of India in 2019, the hosts won easily in Vizag, Pune, and Ranchi, completing a 3-0 sweep. As the WTC race heats up once more, India will be keen to maintain that home domination under Gill’s captaincy and Gambhir’s guidance from the sidelines.
