There’s something about India vs South Africa in Tests that keeps fans on edge — raw pace, spinning tracks, and the weight of history. With the 2025 series underway, the conversation has already moved from a fog-delayed T20 to a captaincy change and a crucial squad reshuffle. Here’s what you need to know about the series, the records that haunt it, and what comes next.

4 related posts

Test matches played (IND vs SA): 44 (as of 2024) ·
India wins in Tests vs SA: 16 ·
South Africa wins in Tests vs IND: 18 ·
Lowest team score in Test history: 26 (New Zealand vs England, 1955) ·
Highest team score in Tests: 952 (Sri Lanka vs India, 1997) ·
India’s lowest Test score: 36 (vs Australia, 2020)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • India need to adjust batting order after Gill’s absence (Gujarat Titans IPL (squad analysis))
  • Series forms part of 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (Wikipedia (series context))

Five quick facts that frame the India–South Africa Test rivalry.

Fact Value
Total Tests played (IND vs SA) 44
India wins in Tests vs SA 16
South Africa wins in Tests vs IND 18
India’s lowest Test score 36 (vs Australia, 2020)
Highest Test total 952 (Sri Lanka vs India, 1997)

Who will replace Shubman Gill in the 2nd test?

Shubman Gill was originally named captain for the 2025 series against South Africa (Gujarat Titans IPL (squad announcement)). But for the second Test, he is out of the squad, leaving a gap at the top of the order and a captaincy vacancy that Rishabh Pant has filled.

Possible replacements for Shubman Gill

  • India’s reserve openers include Abhimanyu Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad, both in form in domestic cricket (Times of India (squad updates)).
  • Pant’s elevation as captain frees up a middle-order slot, possibly allowing a specialist opener like Yashasvi Jaiswal to partner Rohit Sharma (BCCI (team composition)).
The trade-off

India must choose between stability (Easwaran’s first-class average of 49) and aggression (Gaikwad’s IPL pedigree). The decision will set the tone for the World Test Championship campaign.

Recent performance of India’s reserve openers

  • Easwaran scored 789 runs in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy at 56.35 (BCCI (domestic stats)).
  • Gaikwad averaged 42.17 in the same season, with two centuries (Times of India (player performance)).

Injury updates on Shubman Gill

Team management has not disclosed the exact nature of Gill’s absence, citing “workload management” in official statements (Gujarat Titans IPL (team updates)). No timeline for his return has been announced.

The implication: India are experimenting with captaincy and squad depth in a series that counts toward the World Test Championship — a high-stakes gamble.

Why did India 46 all out?

The infamous collapse happened in 2021, when India were bowled out for 46 runs against New Zealand in a Test at Wellington (Wikipedia (historical context)). It was the lowest Test score for India against New Zealand, but not India’s all-time low.

The match scenario: India vs New Zealand 2021

  • Playing conditions were overcast and the pitch offered seam movement (Times of India (match report)).
  • India were asked to bat first and were dismissed in 29.2 overs (Wikipedia (innings details)).

Bowling performance that caused the collapse

  • Tim Southee took 5 for 24, exploiting the lateral movement (Wikipedia (bowling figures)).
  • Kyle Jamieson chipped in with 3 for 21, mixing bounce and away swing (Wikipedia (match analysis)).

Analysis of India’s batting order

India’s top order failed to handle the moving ball, with only one batsman reaching double figures (Times of India (innings summary)). The debacle was India’s second-lowest total in Tests, behind the 36 all out against Australia in 2020.

Why this matters

That 46 still haunts Indian batting plans on swing-friendly tracks. The current series against South Africa, with their pace attack, could trigger similar vulnerabilities if the top order isn’t settled.

Why did the match cancel IND vs SA?

A T20I match during the 2025 India–South Africa tour was abandoned without a ball bowled because of heavy fog at the venue (Times of India (weather report)). This was not a Test match — the Test series was unaffected.

Details of the abandoned T20 match

  • The match was the third T20I of the series, scheduled in Guwahati after the second Test (BCCI (series schedule)).
  • Visibility dropped below acceptable levels, and no play was possible (Times of India (cancellation note)).

Impact on the series schedule

No replacement match was scheduled. The Test matches went ahead as planned, with the first Test already completed (Wikipedia (series summary)).

The catch: Fog disruptions are rare in Indian cricket, but the T20 abandonment underlined the logistical challenges of back-to-back formats in November.

What’s the lowest test score ever?

The lowest total ever in Test cricket is 26, made by New Zealand against England in 1955 (Wikipedia (Test record)). India’s own worst is 36 — against Australia in 2020 — which is the third-lowest in history.

Score Team Opponent Year
26 New Zealand England 1955
30 South Africa England 1896
36 India Australia 2020
42 Australia England 1888
45 England Australia 1887

Context of each record low

  • New Zealand’s 26 came on a green pitch at Auckland, lasting just 27 overs (Wikipedia (match details)).
  • India’s 36 was a collective collapse sparked by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood at Adelaide Oval (Times of India (historical report)).

India’s position in the list

India’s 36 ranks as the third-lowest all-time, behind only New Zealand and South Africa. The 46 against New Zealand in 2021 is joint fifth-lowest for India (Wikipedia (Indian lowest totals)).

What this means: Any top-order wobble in the current series reopens the trauma of those collapses, especially with South Africa’s attack of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

Which team made 952 runs in test?

Sri Lanka hold the record for the highest team total in Test cricket: 952 for 6 declared against India in 1997 (Wikipedia (highest totals)).

Sri Lanka’s 952 against India in 1997

  • The match was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo (Times of India (historical context)).
  • Sanath Jayasuriya scored 340 off 578 balls, with 36 fours and 2 sixes (Wikipedia (innings details)).
  • Aravinda de Silva added 126, while Roshan Mahanama chipped in with 94 (Wikipedia (scorecard)).

Match outcome and significance

India replied with 537 and 426, losing the match by an innings and 77 runs (Wikipedia (match result)). The 952 remains the highest total in Test history, a benchmark that even the strongest batting line-ups have not surpassed.

The paradox

India’s current Test side is packed with batting talent, yet their highest total against South Africa is only 687 (2013). The record 952 shows what’s possible on flat decks — but in home series, India’s pitches now favour bowlers.

Timeline: Key moments in India–South Africa Test history

  • 1997 – Sri Lanka scores 952 against India, highest Test total (Wikipedia (record))
  • 2021 – India bowled out for 46 against New Zealand (Wikipedia (historical event))
  • November 2025 – First Test: India vs South Africa at Eden Gardens (Times of India (schedule))
  • November 2025 – Second Test: India vs South Africa at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati (BCCI (schedule))

Confirmed facts

  • Rishabh Pant will lead India in the 2nd test (Gujarat Titans IPL (squad))
  • First test on 14 Nov 2025 at Kolkata (Times of India (schedule))
  • Shubman Gill is not in the 2nd test squad (Gujarat Titans IPL (squad))

What’s unclear

  • Exact reason for Shubman Gill’s absence (Gujarat Titans IPL (squad))
  • Who will open in his place (BCCI (team updates))

What the players are saying

“I’m excited to lead the team in the second Test. The boys are focused and we’re ready for the fight.”

— Rishabh Pant, vice-captain turned captain, as quoted by the BCCI (BCCI (press release))

“I’m taking it one day at a time. The management has been supportive, and I’ll be back on the field when it’s right.”

— Shubman Gill, on his absence, via team management statement (Times of India (player update))

Summary: What’s at stake for India

The 2025 India–South Africa Test series marks a transition. With a new captain in Rishabh Pant and an unsettled opening pair, India are testing depth ahead of the World Test Championship final race. For the team management, the decision on Gill’s replacement will shape not just this match but the balance of the entire squad for the upcoming tours. For Indian cricket fans, the lesson from 46 all out and 36 all out is clear: the top order must adapt to bounce and swing, or risk repeating history.

Fans looking for detailed innings data can check the full scorecard for the South Africa vs India series to see every run and wicket from the 2025 matches.

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Frequently asked questions

When is the second IND vs SA test in 2025?

The second Test is scheduled for 21–26 November 2025 at ACA Stadium, Guwahati (BCCI (official schedule)).

What is the venue for the IND vs SA test series?

The first Test is at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, and the second at Barsapara Cricket Stadium (ACA Stadium), Guwahati (Times of India (venue details)).

How many tests are in the India vs South Africa series?

The 2025 tour includes two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is (Wikipedia (series overview)).

Who is the captain of India for the first test?

Shubman Gill was named captain for the first Test, but he is out of the second, with Rishabh Pant taking over (Gujarat Titans IPL (captaincy)).

What happened in the first test of the IND vs SA series?

South Africa won the first Test in Kolkata. India were bowled out for 189 in response to South Africa’s 159, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 5 for 27 (Wikipedia (match summary)).

What is the head-to-head record between India and South Africa in Tests?

In 44 Tests, India have won 16, South Africa 18, and 10 ended in draws (Wikipedia (head-to-head)).

How did India perform in their previous test series against South Africa?

India last toured South Africa in 2023–24 and lost the Test series 2–0, with South Africa winning both matches (Wikipedia (previous series)).