"Wicket Looked Different": Shubman Gill's Big Remark On India Playing XI For 1st South Africa Test

Indian cricket team captain Shubman Gill said that the final call on the playing XI for the 1st Test match against South Africa will be taken after a final inspection of the Eden Gardens pitch on Friday. India are expected to go with a strong spin attack considering the fact that the surface is expected to help the slow bowlers. During the pre-match press conference, Gill said that the team management is more or less certain about the spin combination that will feature in the game but the final call will be taken just ahead of the match. While Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are certain to play the match, the choice may come down between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for the third spinner slot.

"More or less, we have finalised it. But, when we came yesterday, the wicket looked different. Today, it is once again different. So tomorrow, we will take a final look at the pitch before deciding. The light also goes away early in the eastern part of the country. These are the factors that we will have to keep in mind. We will take the final decision after looking at the wicket tomorrow," Gill said.

India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack when the reasonably well-matched sides clash in an eagerly-anticipated two-match Test series.

India would be haunted by the ghosts of last year's home debacle against New Zealand when their home record was shattered by Kiwi spinners Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, who shared 36 wickets across three Tests, fashioning an unprecedented 0-3 whitewash.

Given South Africa's heavy reliance on tweakers right now, that collapse against sustained spin pressure will linger in the collective memory of the home side.

The reigning World Test champions are known for fiery pacers historically but are currently armed with one of the most potent spin groups in world cricket.

The Proteas arrive on the back of a morale-boosting 1-1 draw in Pakistan, achieved without inspirational captain Temba Bavuma.

South Africa's spin trio of Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy accounted for 35 of the 39 wickets to fall across the series outperforming Pakistan's own slow-bowling contingent of Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Salman Agha, who managed 21 wickets collectively.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Shubman Gill Washington Sundar Kuldeep Yadav Axar Patel Ravindra Jadeja India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket