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South Africa captain Temba Bavuma exuded confidence in his team to win the upcoming Test series against India which is scheduled to start from November 14. The two-match Test series between India and South Africa will be played on Indian soil. The series opener is scheduled for the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, running from November 14 to 18. Following that, the action moves to Guwahati, where the Barsapara Cricket Stadium will host the second and final match from November 22 to 26. As the series approaches, Bavuma has preemptively sent a strong message to the home team.
Temba Bavuma issues warning to Team India
Despite not having played a Test match since leading South Africa to the World Test Championship (WTC) title against Australia at Lord's in June 2025, Bavuma expressed great confidence in his team's potential. According to the Proteas captain, the series presents a massive opportunity for his side to achieve the difficult feat of winning a Test series in India. This declaration sets up a potentially thrilling contest between the two sides.
“I think as a South African team, I don’t think we’ve won a Test series here in India for a long time. So, I think there’s a massive opportunity there and I think there’s a big target on our backs as a South African Test team," Bavuma was quoted as saying by PTI.
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South Africa aim to break two-decade drought
South Africa are looking to achieve a historic milestone, as the team has not won a Test series in India since the year 2000, a victory secured under the leadership of the late Hansie Cronje. Bavuma, despite issuing a confident pre-series warning, acknowledges that the assignment remains difficult. He specifically stated that the retirements of Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would not automatically make the upcoming series an "easier" challenge for the visiting side.
Spin attack boosts confidence for Bavuma
Nevertheless, Bavuma holds a strong belief that his current team possesses a better chance of snapping the 25-year-long drought than previous South African squads. This optimism is largely rooted in the quality and depth of the team's spin bowling resources. Bavuma feels that having a high-caliber spin attack will be the key factor enabling South Africa to successfully compete and potentially win a Test series on challenging Indian pitches.
“I think there’s expectation on us (as world champions)," Bavuma added.
“It’s always tough playing in India. You’ve seen the young talent that has come in. The guys come in, they are all filling the boots. It is a big task. Those guys you mentioned have performed over a number of years for India, and they’ve put India on the map of where they are. But yeah, we’ll prepare as well as we can, understand the challenges that we’ll find here, and strive to put our best foot forward," Bavuma further stated.
India’s Test squad for South Africa series:
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep
South Africa squad for India series:
Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne
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