ANI
13 Nov 2025, 18:42 GMT+10
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 13 (ANI): Ahead of the first Test against South Africa, Indian skipper Shubman Gill spoke about choosing between spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the playing 11, stating, 'Let's leave that one for tomorrow'.
Gill will lead the Indian team against the defending World Test Championship champions South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series, starting from Friday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Gill also stated that the final decision on the playing combination will be made after assessing the wicket on match morning.
'Let's leave that one for tomorrow. I think once we come tomorrow, see how the wicket looks in the morning, we are going to take a decision on what kind of combination would give us the best chance to be able to win this test match,' said Gill during the pre-match press conference.
India's seam attack is set to be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, while Akash Deep is the third pacer in the squad. The spin options include the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. Notably, Jadeja, Axar and Washington also offer valuable batting depth to the team.
Gill mentioned that the playing 11 is 'more or less finalised' but refrained from revealing the exact lineup.
'Yes, I think more or less finalised it. But I think once when we came yesterday, the look of the wicket was a little different. Today it looks a little different. So once we come tomorrow and see how the wicket is looking.'
'And I think in this part of India, light goes a little early. So all those things have to be kept in mind. Generally, fast bowlers get a little help in the morning and evening. So, once we come tomorrow and see how the wicket is looking, we will decide accordingly. In general, whenever we play in India, the spinners more or less decide the game. The better the quality of the spin attack you have, the better chances you have of winning the match,' Gill added. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of Nigeria Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Nigeria Sun.
More InformationNEW DELHI, India: An explosion in a car near Delhi's historic Red Fort on November 10 killed nine people and injured at least 20 others,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump has granted pardons to Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and several other allies accused of trying...
NEW DELHI, India: A dense grey haze blanketed New Delhi on November 10, choking the city's skyline and sending pollution levels soaring...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: U.S. President Donald Trump has been promoting the idea of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, but such...
LONDON, U.K.: The BBC's top two executives — Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness — resigned on November 9 amid...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Senate on November 9 took a significant step toward ending the federal government shutdown, now in its 41st...
Gaborone (Botswana) [India], November 13 (ANI): In a landmark conservation gesture, Botswana formally handed over eight cheetahs to...
New Delhi [India], November 13 (ANI): Former India opener Abhinav Mukund recalled his first fiery encounter with South African pace...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 13 (ANI): South Africa captain Temba Bavuma shares a different perspective from his head coach,...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 13 (ANI): Ahead of the first Test against South Africa, Indian skipper Shubman Gill spoke about...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 13 (ANI): India Test captain Shubman Gill noted that the 'chances of winning' in India are...
New Delhi [India], November 13 (ANI): Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Sybyl, and iXAfrica Data Centre Limited (iXAfrica) have joined...
