'If you have quality spinners, your chances of winning are high' - Shubman Gill hints India carrying spin-heavy attack in Kolkata Test

Published - 13 Nov 2025, 17:59 IST | Updated - 13 Nov 2025, 18:03 IST

India captain Shubman Gill was reported to be involved in a massive discussion with the pitch curator at the Eden Gardens ahead of the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. The game will begin on Friday, November 14, and Gill has made his mind clear about how he would want his team to approach the game against the reigning World Test Championship winners.

Ahead of the opening encounter of the series, Gill said that the side has had a look at the pitch, and that the team strategy will depend largely on how the pitch seems right before the toss takes place. He also said that the sun tends to set pretty early in Kolkata, and hence, the environmental factors will also be taken into consideration by the management apart from discussions about the pitch.

"The wicket is more or less finalized, but when we arrived yesterday, it looked a bit different. Today, it seems slightly changed again. So, once we come tomorrow and see how the surface looks, we'll decide accordingly. In this part of India, the light tends to fade a little early, so that's something we have to keep in mind," Gill said at the pre-match press conference.

I cherish lot of memories at the Eden Gardens: Shubman Gill

Another thing that Gill highlighted was how pacers and spinners dominate different phases of a day in a Test match, especially in India. The Fazilka-born further suggested that the spin attack needs to be of top quality, as it would most likely be the difference between win and loss for any team playing a red-ball game in the subcontinent conditions.

"Generally, the fast bowlers get a bit of help in the morning and the evening sessions. Overall, whenever we play in India, the spinners usually decide the outcome of the game. The better the quality of your spin attack, the higher are your chances of winning," Gill added.

The first Test match will also welcome Rishabh Pant back into the Test team after the star wicketkeeper-batter had missed the series against the West Indies owing to a right toe fracture during India's tour of England. In addition to Pant, India are also going to play their second wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, but as a specialist batter in the upcoming game, as confirmed by assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate earlier.

India squad for South Africa Tests: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant ( Vice-Captain and Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep