South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
India's young brigade will look to continue their recent momentum in Tests when they take on World champions South Africa in a two match series, starting in Kolkata on Friday, November 14, 2025.
Shubman Gill has enjoyed a smooth start to his captaincy, guiding a relatively inexperienced Indian team to a creditable 2-2 series draw in England, followed by a convincing 2-0 series sweep against the West Indies at home last month.
However, the 3-0 series whitewash suffered at the hands of New Zealand last year will still be fresh in Team India's minds as South Africa can prove to be a formidable opponent.
South Africa will also be confident after their 1-1 series draw in Pakistan, where they bounced back after losing the first Test to win the second match by eight wickets.
Spin all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy was the star performer for South Africa in Pakistan, taking 11 wickets in the first match in Lahore, before scoring a match-winning 89 not out in the next game at Rawalpindi.
The series defeat against New Zealand at home was a big wake-up call for the Indians -- their first series loss at home in 12 years -- after 18 consecutive series wins at home.
South Africa enjoy a superior head-to-head record against India in Tests, with eight series wins out of 16 played with India winning four, while four finished in draws.
South Africa is the only country where India has never won a Test series.
South Africa's record in India is quite creditable. The Proteas famously registered a 2-0 series sweep in India in 2000 when the Hansie Cronje-led side outclassed Sachin Tendulkar's India. They also achieved creditable 1-1 draws in back to back series against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India in 2008 and 2010.
In recent years the record has titled in India's favour, registering 3-0 clean sweeps in home series in 2015 and 2019.
India Vs South Africa
| VENUE | INDIA WON | SOUTH AFRICA WON | DRAW |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN INDIA | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| IN SOUTH AFRICA | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| OVERALL | 4 | 8 | 4 |
India VS SOUTH AFRICA AT HOME
| RESULT | TESTS |
|---|---|
| INDIA WON | 11 |
| SOUTH AFRICA WON | 5 |
| DRAW | 3 |
| Overall | 19 |
India's line-up looks quite settled heading into the South Africa series. Rishabh Pant's return is a big boost while Dhruv Jurel has staked his claim for a place in the playing XI as a specialist batter after scoring twin centuries for India A in the second four-day match against South Africa A.
Captain Gill will be keen to continue his record-breaking run with the bat. Since taking over the captaincy during the tour of England last year, the right-hander has amassed 946 runs in seven Tests, averaging 78.83, with five centuries and a fifty, with a best of 269.
Apart from a solid batting line-up including K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Pant, India also boast of spin all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar.
South Africa will be vary of the threat posed by left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav while the pace attack is also very formidable with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep looking in fine shape.
South Africa's players don't have much experience of Indian conditions. Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis have featured in the IPL but Test cricket is India is a different challenge.
Rabada has the most experience of playing in India among the South Africans, but even he has played only six Tests in which he has claimed nine wickets. Captain Temba Bavuma is the next with four Tests but he has a poor record of 152 runs at an average of 19 without a single fifty.
Eight of the 15-member South African squad have not played a single Test in India.
Overall, India and South Africa have played 44 Tests, with the Proteas holding a slender 18-16 lead while 10 games finished in draws.
India enjoy a dominant record against South Africa at home -- registering 11 wins from 19 Tests, including seven victories in the last eight games, while one game ended in a draw.
India Won The Last 5 Home Tests Against South Africa By Big Margins
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years, -- their last victory came in Nagpur in February 2010.
Dale Steyn had then starred with the ball, taking 10 wickets in the match (7/51 and 3/57), while Hashim Amla top-scored with 253 and Jacques Kallis made 173 as the Proteas trounced India by an innings and six runs.
India will do well not to take South Africa lightly after they defied all odds to win the ICC Test Championship, beating Australia in the final by five wickets at Lord's in June. They will hope their young team can repeat that magic and pull off another upset in India.
South Africa A's superb batting display in the second four-day match against India A in Bengaluru will also give them belief. They chased down 417 to level the two match series against the Rishabh Pant-led Indian team -- the highest successful run chase by an A side in first class cricket.
India's attack featured the two frontline pacers in Siraj and Akash Deep -- who both struggled with the ball in the second innings on a good pitch on Day 4, while Kuldeep also managed just a single wicket in 28 overs sent down in the game.
Even though South Africa can't be taken lightly, India still go into the series as clear favourites.
With youth, form and home advantage on their side, Gill's men will be eager to extend India's Test dominance at home -- and ensure the Proteas' long wait for a victory on Indian soil continues.
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