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India vs South Africa 2025: Top 5 Player Battles To Watch In Test
Updated - 11-NOV-2025 7:22 IST
The first Test between South Africa and India in 2025 is scheduled to take place in Kolkata, and it looks to be a classic bat-and-ball match. Fans ought to expect strong individual duels that could define the series because both teams have top players.
South Africa wants to end their winless run in India since 2015, while India will try to continue their domination at home. These are India's biggest rivals in this crucial match, along with the top five player clashes to watch.
Top 5 Player Battles
Rishabh Pant vs Anrich Nortje — Fearless vs Fearsome
One of India's greatest achievements has been Rishabh Pant's return to Test cricket after a long injury absence. The southpaw's weapon has always been his aggressive purpose, particularly against pace. Even Pant's daring will be put to the test when he takes on Anrich Nortje, who is undoubtedly one of the fastest bowlers in the world.
- Pant’s Avg vs SA (Tests): 43.5
- Nortje’s Avg vs India: 25.1
KL Rahul vs Kagiso Rabada — Precision Meets Firepower
Kagiso vs. Rahul Rabada is a skill and patience game. Rahul is India's most reliable batter in swing-friendly and foreign environments thanks to his compact defense and controlled stroke play. In contrast, Rabada is South Africa's strike weapon; it is fast, forceful, and capable of swinging the new ball dangerously.
- KL Rahul’s Avg vs SA (Tests): 42.7
- Rabada’s Wickets vs India (Tests): 52
Shubman Gill vs Marco Jansen — The Future Stars Face Off
The match between two up-and-coming players, Marco Jansen and Shubman Gill, represents the next wave of cricket glory. They are both in their 20s and have awareness above their years. Jansen is a powerful weapon because of his left-arm angle and late ball movement, particularly when facing right-handers like Gill.
In recent home series, Gill, India's new Test captain, has performed well, scoring regularly at No. 3. Jansen's bounce and seam movement will put his cover drives and back-foot punches to the test. Gill's handling of Jansen might determine the course of India's innings and his tenure as captain.
Also Read Gill vs Bavuma: Test Captaincy Record Compared
Temba Bavuma vs Ravichandran Ashwin — The Tactician vs The Master Spinner
The captain of South Africa, Temba Bavuma, will go up against Ravichandran Ashwin, a well-known adversary. Bavuma's strategy against spin will be closely watched because the Indian off-spinner has long beaten right-handers at home.
- Ashwin has more than 350 home test wickets.
- Off-Spin vs. Bavuma (Avg): 26.4
While Ashwin's variations—the carrom ball, the dipper, and the slider—make survival challenging, Bavuma's strengths are his patience and ability to rotate strike. Since momentum frequently fluctuates in the middle overs, this struggle is likely to take place there. The lower order in South Africa might have some breathing room if Bavuma can withstand Ashwin.
Dean Elgar vs Jasprit Bumrah — The Grind vs The Genius
The strong starter Dean Elgar will face India's pace leader Jasprit Bumrah in what might be a pivotal match. Elgar is known for his bravery and capacity to handle pressure, but it will be a difficult test to take on Bumrah with the new ball in Indian conditions.
- India's Elgar's average: 21.3
- Bumrah's Indian bowling average is 22.0.
Bumrah is lethal on every surface with his backward swing and distinctive release angle. However, Elgar is used to challenges. In order to provide South Africa's middle order with a platform, he will try to dull the new ball and exhaust the bowlers.
Whether South Africa scores a competitive first-innings total or falters early due to India's pace pressure could be decided by this match.
Top Challengers for India in the 2025 Series
While South Africa's lineup has several players who could change the course of the match, India is still the favorite at home:
- Aiden Markram is a good stroke creator who enjoys counterattacking spin.
- South Africa's offensive leader, Kagiso Rabada, was aggressive, fast, and in charge.
- Temba Bavuma: capable of anchoring lengthy innings, calm, and tactical.
- Marco Jansen: He gives depth with the bat and the ball thanks to his versatility.
- Anrich Nortje is the X-factor because of his pure speed and ability to shatter partnerships.
The strongest challenges to India's domination at home come from these five players.