South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma joined the national squad in Kolkata on Monday morning, completing the visitors’ full-strength lineup ahead of the first Test against India, which begins on Friday, November 14 at the Eden Gardens. Bavuma, who recently played for the South Africa ‘A’ team in an unofficial Test series against India A in Bengaluru, was the penultimate member to join the main squad.
The first set of South African players, which included head coach Shukri Conrad, pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, and members returning from the white-ball series in Pakistan, landed in Kolkata on Sunday morning.
Temba Bavuma, who missed the start of South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) campaign in Pakistan owing to a calf strain.
Made his return to competitive cricket with the ‘A’ series. His addition enhances South Africa’s batting line and provides crucial leadership experience as the team aims to get off to a great start in the high-stakes two-match Test series against India.
“Bavuma, along with another player and a few officials, arrived this morning from Bengaluru. Most of the squad, including the head coach, had already checked in on Sunday. South Africa now have their full contingent in. There’s no activity scheduled at Eden today. Most likely, both teams will have their first training session on Tuesday,” Proteas’ local manager told as quoted by India Today.
Bavuma, playing under Marques Ackerman’s leadership, showcased his resilience with a gritty 59 off 101 balls in the second innings of the second unofficial Test in Bengaluru, helping the South Africa ‘A’ side clinch a five-wicket win and level the series 1-1. His composed knock under pressure reaffirmed his readiness for the upcoming Test series against India.
Middle-order batter Zubayr Hamza, another standout performer from the ‘A’ squad, has also joined the main team. Renowned for his ability to handle spin, Hamza made notable contributions in both matches, including a crucial 77-run innings in the final game at the Centre of Excellence.
On the Indian side, the first batch of players, including captain Shubman Gill, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Jasprit Bumrah, and all-rounders Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, reached Kolkata late on Sunday after their limited-overs tour of Australia. The remaining members, such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel, are expected to arrive soon.
Both teams will begin their first training sessions at Eden Gardens on Tuesday as preparations intensify for the opening Test, starting Friday.
The series marks India’s final red-ball assignment of 2025 before they face Afghanistan in June 2026. For South Africa, this will also be their last Test series of the year, with their next engagements set for September 2026, hosting Australia and England in back-to-back series.
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