South African cricket captain Temba Bavuma joined his team’s full squad in Kolkata on Monday morning ahead of the opening Test against India at Eden Gardens on Friday. Bavuma, who was participating in the ‘A’ team’s unofficial Test series in Bengaluru, was the last to arrive after the main contingent, including head coach Shukri Conrad and pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, reached on Sunday.“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,” the South Africa team’s local manager told PTI.
“So, South Africa now have their full contingent in. There’s no activity scheduled at the Eden today… Most likely, both teams will have their first training session on Tuesday.”Bavuma, who had missed South Africa’s World Test Championship matches in Pakistan due to a calf strain, made a comeback with the ‘A’ side in Bengaluru. Though he was dismissed for a golden duck in the first innings, he scored a solid 59 off 101 balls in the second innings, helping his team secure a five-wicket victory in the final match.Middle-order batsman Zubayr Hamza also arrived in Kolkata after playing both ‘A’ matches in Bengaluru. Hamza, known for his prowess against spin bowling, impressed with two half-centuries, including a crucial 77 in the second innings of the final game.The Indian team’s contingent from the Australia white-ball series, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel, arrived late Sunday. The remaining players are expected to join throughout the day from their respective locations.India’s recent cricket engagements included a white-ball series in Australia, where they lost the ODI series under Gill’s leadership but won the T20I series 2-1 with Suryakumar Yadav as captain.Under Gill’s Test captaincy, India began their 2025-27 World Test Championship campaign in England, managing a 2-2 draw in the five-match series. They followed this with a 2-0 victory against West Indies in a home series.This upcoming series marks the final Test matches of the year for both teams. India’s next Test assignment is scheduled for June 2024 against Afghanistan, followed by tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand in 2026.South Africa, the current World Test champions, will return to Test cricket in September next year with a three-Test home series against Australia, followed by another three-match series against England.Both teams are scheduled to begin their training sessions at Eden Gardens on Tuesday in preparation for the two-match Test series.
