After six long years, Test cricket makes its way back to Eden Gardens with India taking on South Africa in the series-opening Test starting on Friday.
Shubman Gill leads a young, yet experienced Indian side comprising Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, and a fully-fit Rishabh Pant while Dhruv Jurel provides depth in recent form. An attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj is rounded off by a strong spin group led by Ravindra Jadeja.
Led by Temba Bavuma, South Africa go into the series confident after their hard-fought win in Rawalpindi and will look to carry forward the same momentum into this series against India with a strong middle-order comprising Aiden Markram, Kyle Verreynne, and pace ace Kagiso Rabada.
IND vs SA: Eden Gardens Pitch Report
Eden Gardens has very often had surfaces that take on a different character as the game progresses. A black-soil pitch, with light grass cover, is expected to ensure seam movement during the morning sessions over the first two days. While the relaid 2017 strips briefly leaned towards pace, recent patterns have indicated spinners becoming more influential from day three as the surface slows down and starts breaking down. A strong first-innings score falls within the 420-450 range to give teams early control.
IND vs SA: Toss Strategy
Bat first: The early stability and wear-and-tear toward the end make batting first a pretty good option. Teams would want to put up a decent total and let their spinners wreak havoc on the deteriorating surface later on.
Bowl first: A captain may contemplate bowling only when conditions offer heavy cloud cover or significant early moisture situations that could give fast bowlers extra swing and seam.