On Monday morning, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma was added to the national squad at Kolkata and now the visitors have a complete full-strength squad before the first Test against India starts on Friday, November 14 at the Eden Gardens. Bavuma, the most recent player to represent the South Africa A-team in an unofficial Test series with India A in Bengaluru was the second latest to be added to the main team.
The initial group of South African players — including head coach Shukri Conrad, pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, and others who returned from the white-ball series in Pakistan — arrived in Kolkata on Sunday morning.
Temba Bavuma, who missed South Africa’s opening round of the World Test Championship (WTC) in Pakistan due to a calf injury, returned to competitive cricket through the A series. His inclusion strengthens South Africa’s batting lineup and adds valuable leadership experience ahead of the crucial two-match Test series against India.
“Bavuma, along with another player and a few officials, arrived this morning from Bengaluru. Most of the squad, including the head coach, had already checked in on Sunday. South Africa now have their full contingent in. There’s no activity scheduled at Eden today. Most likely, both teams will have their first training session on Tuesday,” Proteas’ local manager told as quoted by India Today.
In the second unofficial Test at Bengaluru, Temba Bavuma showed great determination, scoring a crucial 59 off 101 balls in the fourth innings. His innings helped South Africa A chase down the target and win the match by five wickets, leveling the series against India A. The composed knock under pressure highlighted his experience and form ahead of the upcoming Test series against India.
Zubayr Hamza, another key player for the visitors, has also earned a call-up to the senior South African team. Known for his calm temperament and ability to handle spin, Hamza maintained his consistency throughout the unofficial series. His 77-run innings during the second match at the Centre of Excellence played a major role in South Africa A’s strong performance.
India, South Africa Gear Up for Test Series Opener at Eden Gardens
On the Indian side, the first batch of players — including captain Shubman Gill, coach Gautam Gambhir, and key bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar — returned to India on Sunday evening. They reached Kolkata, where the opening Test will take place. The remaining squad members, such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel, are expected to join the camp soon.
Both teams will begin their first training sessions on Tuesday at Eden Gardens. With the Test starting on Friday, players will focus on adapting to the conditions and finalizing their playing combinations. India will aim to extend their strong home record, while South Africa will look to challenge the hosts with a balanced bowling attack.
This two-match action will be the final red-ball task of India in the year 2025 and subsequently Afghanistan in the middle of the year 2026. It is the end of their yearly Test programme as well to South Africa as they will host Australia and England in consecutive series in September next year. Both opponents will seek to end the season positively.
