India is gearing up to host the reigning World Test Champions, South Africa, in a highly anticipated two-match Test series, beginning at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 14. This series marks the start of a new chapter in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

India, currently ranked fourth in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, aims to leverage its formidable home record. India has won 122 Test matches at home, placing them behind Australia (262 wins) and England (241 wins). India's recent 2-0 series victory against the West Indies further solidified their home dominance. However, a setback occurred last year when New Zealand secured a 3-0 Test series win on Indian soil.

The team is led by Shubman Gill, who has had a good start to his captaincy. Gill has expressed his desire for balanced pitches that offer opportunities for both batsmen and bowlers. The squad includes experienced players such as Rishabh Pant, who returns after recovering from an injury.

South Africa, currently third in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, arrives in India fresh off their World Test Championship victory against Australia. Led by Temba Bavuma, South Africa recently drew a series 1-1 against Pakistan. South Africa's head coach, Shukri Conrad, has expressed confidence in his team's spin attack, which includes Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, and Simon Harmer.

The head-to-head record between India and South Africa in Test matches stands at 16 wins for India and 18 for South Africa, with 10 matches ending in draws. However, India holds a superior record at home, with 11 wins out of 19 matches, while South Africa has won 5. At Eden Gardens, India leads with 2 wins to South Africa's 1.

Both teams have announced their squads for the series.

• India: The squad includes Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC/WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Axar Patel.
• South Africa: The squad includes Temba Bavuma (C), Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Senuran Muthusamy, Wiaan Mulder, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Keshav Maharaj, and Aiden Markram.

The series will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.