Team India, led by Shubman Gill, is taking on Temba Bavuma’s South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The series opener began with disappointment for the hosts, as Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat first on the opening day (Friday, November 14).
After suffering a home series loss to New Zealand last year, the India national cricket team whitewashed the West Indies in a two-match Test series last month. The Men in Blue are looking to establish a new era of dominance at home during the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Temba Bavuma Opts to Bat as Shubman Gill Loses Toss Again
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and decided to bat first in the opening Test against India at the Eden Gardens. Notably, it is the first Test match at the venue after six years.
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Rishabh Pant made his comeback to the national side, and Dhruv Jurel was included as a specialist batter. The spin department was packed with Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav, while Bengal pacer Akash Deep missed out on selection.
South Africa suffered a setback as pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada was ruled out with a rib injury. Corbin Bosch was added to the squad, with the visitors opting for a two-spin combination. Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder could bowl if needed as extra options.
I Will Win the Toss in the WTC Final – Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill was frustrated after losing another toss. Gill noted that the pitch should offer early assistance to the fast bowlers and urged his team to make the most of those conditions. He expected the surface to remain good for batting over the first three days.
“Hopefully, I will win the toss in the WTC final. It is a good surface, and it will have something for the fast bowlers in the initial hours, and hopefully, we take advantage of it. The boys are hungry and want to perform. These two matches are crucial for us. It will be a good surface for the first three days and then will help the spinners,” Shubman Gill said.
South Africa drew their recent two-match Test series in Pakistan. The Proteas are expected to present a far tougher challenge for India, especially given their strong record and ability to adapt well to subcontinental conditions.
Fans React as Shubman Gill Loses Another Toss
Shubman Gill’s cheeky answer to Ravi Shastri joking about his terrible toss luck :-
“The only toss I will win is in WTC final” #ShubmanGill #INDvSA #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/ugmZePAatz
— Prateek (@prateek_295) November 14, 2025
India lost the toss again, Indian team management really need to teach their captains how to win tosses. Losing toss almost every single time can’t be a coincidence.
– Shubman Gill losing all tosses,
– Suryakumar Yadav losing all tosses,
– Harmanpreet Kaur losing all tosses pic.twitter.com/dIWbpU5RDs— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) November 14, 2025
Shubman Gill lost another toss but you won’t see Harsha Bhogle tweeting on toss anymore coz it is not Virat Kohli https://t.co/U8vFfFT0Z4 pic.twitter.com/P3d5g38R8s
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) November 14, 2025
Have noticed this from Eng tour itself, Shubman Gill is always economical with the truth at the toss. Temba Bavuma was honest. Also ffs Ravi Shastri, stop asking – what’s your combination?, on the first day of the series. How are they supposed to answer that fr? #INDvSA #WTC
— M SatyaKam (@satyakam92) November 14, 2025
Captain Shubman Gill Toss in Test
1 – won
7* – lost pic.twitter.com/7htOAnOFW7— All Cricket Records (@Cric_records45) November 14, 2025
Toss and Gill not made for each other
— SlayingKing (@Slay_king_18) November 14, 2025
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