India, in their own conditions, are notoriously tough to beat, while the Proteas are the reigning World Test Champions and quietly confident going into the Test series.

South Africa will be chasing their first series win in India in over 25 years and head into the contest quietly confident, having already described it as being as big as – if not bigger than – the WTC final.

Ryan ten Doeschate. Photo: Cricinfo

India’s South Africa-born assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, said they’re expecting a fierce contest against the country of his birth, and they’ll need to be switched on throughout as the Proteas are worthy world champions.

“I think South Africa deserve a lot of credit for how they’ve gone about their work over the past nine or ten months,” said the former Dutch international cricketer.

“The position they’ve earned in the World Test Championship shows they’re a quality side – beating Australia in the final says plenty.

“The fact that they bring such a potent spin attack makes this series even more exciting. The WTC is hugely important, and there’s no series you can afford to let slip.

“With a World Cup on the horizon and three formats to manage, this is as big as anything else – a massive step towards reaching next year’s final.”

While early indications suggest the seamers may enjoy some assistance over the weekend, Ten Doeschate also believes the batters will need to step up, with the spinners likely to come into play as the Test wears on.

“From the early look at the wicket, it seems a good surface that should take spin later on, but it’s not going to be all about spin,” said Ten Doeschate.

“Our batters will need to apply themselves well in the first few days when conditions are slightly easier, and both teams have quality fast bowlers who’ll be crucial up front.

Temba Bavuma inspecting the Eden Gardens pitch. Photo: Cricinfo

“The challenge is finding the right combination, but we’ll be banking on our seamers to make early inroads. Ideally, you want a proper Test wicket – one that brings every facet into play – though I do expect spin to have a bigger say as the match goes on.”

The first ball of the opening Test between India and South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens is set to be bowled at 6 am on Friday.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cvs