In the first Test match against Team India, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bat first at the Eden Gardens.
Both teams have entered the clash with younger players, and it will be interesting to see what they have to offer on the big stage.
People will keep a tab on Rishabh Pant, as the left-hander has made his first appearance in international cricket after the injury.
South Africa`s lead pacer, Kagiso Rabada, will not feature in the match due to rib injury. In his place, Corbin Bosch has been selected for the Eden clash.
After the toss, Team India skipper Shubman Gill said, “Hopefully, the only toss I win this year will be in the WTC final (smiles). The pitch looks like it’ll have a bit in it for the seamers early on. The dressing room environment is fantastic — this Test team is young, hungry, and eager to perform. These two home series are very crucial for us in terms of preparation and momentum. I think the surface will play well for the first couple of days before offering some turn later on. Rishabh comes back in for Reddy, and Axar returns as well”.
On the other hand, South African skipper Bavuma said, “We just want to keep the momentum going. I was with the A team earlier, and in terms of preparation, we’ve done everything we could. Now it’s about embracing the challenge ahead. It’s an exciting venue — you don’t get to play in front of 50–60 thousand people every day, and doing that in India is always special. The pitch looks on the drier side with not much grass, so it’s a typical Indian wicket where runs on the board will be key. Unfortunately, Rabada misses out with a rib injury, and Corbin Bosch comes in for him”.
IND vs SA 1st Test: Confirmed Playing XI
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (C), Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (C), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj.