IND vs SA Match Prediction : 1st Test, South Africa tour of India, 2025
IND vs SA Win Probability
37%
India
4%
Draw
59%
South Africa
India To Win, 1.33
India has lost only one of its last 12 matches at this venue
The last time that South Africa won a Test match in India was back in 2010
India’s bowling unit is stronger compared to that of South Africa, especially in home conditions
IND vs SA Betting Tips
Shubman Gill to score over 36.5 runs in 1st innings
Shubman Gill is the leading run-scorer in Test matches in 2025 and has an average of close to 70. He has scored at least 37 runs in the first inning of 4 of his last 7 matches, including two centuries, a half-century, and a double-hundred. Seeing his good form, we are backing him to play a good knock.
India total runs before fall of 1st wicket in 1st innings Over 34.5
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul make a strong opening pair. They have scored at least 35 runs in the first inning of three of their last 4 outings, and as they bat on a good batting surface, we are expecting a good start from them.
Team form (Last 5 matches)
India
N/A
South Africa
N/A
South Africa will begin its tour of India this week, facing the hosts across all three formats of the game. The proceedings kick off with a two-match Test series. The first Test will begin on Friday at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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India vs South Africa Head-to-Head Record
The two teams have faced each other in 44 matches to date. South Africa won 18 while India won 16. 10 matches ended in a draw. India has also won 6 out of the previous 7 Tests it has played against South Africa in India.
India vs South Africa Live-streaming and Broadcast
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You can find live odds, updated tips after every day's play, and more information about this match at ocbscores.com.
IND vs SA Team Previews
India
India’s start to the current World Test Championship was expected to be tough. They were without senior players like Kohli, Ashwin, and Rohit and on a tough tour of England. However, they ended up drawing the series 2-2 against England and registered comprehensive victories gainst the West Indies.
As many as 8 players from the current squad featured in the India A team that faced South Africa A last week. Even though the result of the second unofficial Test didn’t go India’s way, the likes of Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel batted well, giving them confidence ahead of this game.
Pant, who suffered an injury against England, is all set to return behind the stumps. He will be an important part of the middle order along with Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Sai Sudharsan. The selectors could also be tempted to include Dhruv Jurel, given his brilliant form in recent outings.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul could continue opening the batting. This could mean either Nitish Reddy or Washington Sundar will have to sit out. Kuldeep Yadav will lead the spin department while Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep are likely to begin the attack with the new ball.
India Expected Playing 11
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Dhurv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (WK), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah
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South Africa
South Africa is the reigning World Test Champion and has played some excellent cricket over the past year. However, they could just manage to draw their latest series against Pakistan and will hope to put up a better performance here.
South Africa has retained most of the players that toured Pakistan and has made only a couple of changes. The biggest change comes in the batting line-up as Temba Bavuma is back after recovering from his injury. He will replace David Bendingham and strengthen the batting unit as he joins Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreyenne.
South Africa has included as many as four all-rounders in the squad, including Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, and Marco Jansen, giving them flexibility in selection.
With Lungi Ngidi still unavailable, Kagiso Rabada remains the only frontline seamer while Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer continue to lead the spin department.
South Africa Expected Playing 11
Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (C), Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Kyle Verreyenne (WK), Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer
IND vs SA Toss Prediction
In 9 of the last 10 games , the team winning the toss opted to bat first and we expect that trend to continue. This is a huge advantage, especially in India where batting in the fourth inning can be very difficult. Make sure to take this into account.
Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
This is the first time that the Eden Gardens is hosting a Test match since 2019, and it remains to be seen how the pitch behaves over the 5-day period. Going by the recent domestic games played here, we expect a balanced surface that will help the seamers early on. The weather here has mostly been clear, and once the ball gets a bit older, batting will become easier.
The average first-inning score is 320. However, the pitch will get drier as the match progresses, and the spinners will get plenty of help. Anything over 150-180 will be difficult to chase in the 4th innings.
The weather will remain clear with temperatures under 30 degrees.
IND vs SA: Who Will Win?
South Africa has a strong squad. Not only did they win a Test against Pakistan but they also performed very well in the warm-up fixture that featured a lot of India's front line players. Playing against India in India is probably the toughest task in cricket today but as New Zealand showed, India can be beaten.
We think the young Indian team under Shubman Gill will have the upper hand, and while it might be made to work hard, a victory is likely.
Bet on India to win.
| Pro Tip: Simon Harmer was brilliant against the Pakistan team. He and Senuram Muthusamy are excellent opetions for the Top Bowler South Africa market. |
