India and South Africa will renew their Test rivalry when the two-match series begins on November 14. The games will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati as part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship. Both teams remain among the strongest in world cricket, with India looking to strengthen their position in the WTC and South Africa looking to defend their World Cup title.
India enter the series in great form having drawn 2-2 in England and beat West Indies 2-0 earlier in the cycle. Captain Shubman Gill has been outstanding with the bat, averaging nearly 79 this year with five centuries in seven Tests.
Rishabh Pant’s return gives India a big boost while Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul add stability to the middle order. The home side’s bowling also looks balanced with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj leading the pace attack, with spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav expected to dominate the turns.
India’s stunning home record gives them a clear advantage, but South Africa’s speed power and competitive edge ensure the series could be tighter than expected. With both sides chasing the precious WTC points, fans can expect two tough tests defined by skill, intensity and tactical battles.
Here are some Indian records to look forward to in the series
161 – Number of runs Shubman Gill needs to become the second fastest Indian to reach 3000 Test runs. Virender Sehwag currently holds the record, reaching the milestone in just 55 innings.
1 – Shubman Gill has to become the Indian batsman with the most Test hundreds in a single calendar year.
4 – Sixes Shubman Gill has to become the ninth Indian batsman to hit 50 or more sixes in Test cricket. Others on the list are Virender Sehwag, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Sourav Ganguly.
2 – Rishabh Pant’s sixes to become the Indian with the most sixes in Test history. Virender Sehwag holds the top spot with 91 sixes.
15 – Runs KL Rahul needs to complete 4000 runs in Test cricket.
10 – Runs Ravindra Jadeja has to become only the fourth cricketer in the world with the double of 4000 runs and 300 more wickets. The others are Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori.
12 – Ravindra Jadeja’s wickets have to become the fourth fastest Indian to 350 Test wickets. Ravi Ashwin is the record holder in 66 matches.
12 – Wickets Kuldeep Yadav needs to complete 350 wickets in international cricket.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 13, 2025
