Overview
- Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and head coach Gautam Gambhir flew directly from Brisbane to Kolkata, with full training slated to start on Tuesday.
- Rishabh Pant is confirmed as vice-captain for his Test return under captain Shubman Gill, as India complete their 15-man squad that also features KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mohammed Siraj.
- The two-match series begins on November 14 at Eden Gardens, with the second Test in Guwahati from November 22 in the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.
- South Africa’s full-strength party has gathered in Kolkata, with captain Temba Bavuma the final arrival after A-team duties in Bengaluru, and both teams set to train on Tuesday.
- Selection chatter in India includes calls to field both Pant and Dhruv Jurel, with Aakash Chopra proposing the omission of Nitish Kumar Reddy, while parallel Australian coverage highlights Shield tune-ups and debate over Nathan Lyon’s spot and Marnus Labuschagne’s batting position before the Ashes.