Spinners decide Tests in India, Gill says before South Africa opener

Shubhman Gill (Image Source: Google)

India captain Shubman Gill said on Thursday fast bowlers could play a key role in the opening Test against South Africa, although spinners usually have the final say in home conditions.

The pitch at Kolkata's Eden Gardens is expected to behave like a typical Indian surface -- offering good batting conditions over the first couple of days when the Test begins on Friday before assisting spin from day three.

However, the early morning moisture in eastern India could bring the quicks into play.

With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the lineup, India will be counting on their ability to exploit reverse swing.

"I think generally fast bowlers get a little help in the morning and evening," Gill told reporters on the eve of the two-match series.

"Whenever we play in India, more or less the spinners decide the game.

"The better the quality of the spin attack you have, the better chances you have of winning the match," he said.

India's spin options for the opener include Ravindra Jadeja (left-arm orthodox), Washington Sundar (off-spin), Axar Patel (left-arm orthodox) and Kuldeep Yadav (left-arm wrist spin).

It could be a toss-up between fielding a third seamer or an extra spinner in the India XI.

"Even the England series that we played in 2024, the crucial wickets in between were taken by the fast bowlers -- even though the wickets were spin-friendly," said Gill.

"So if you can get the ball reversing, the fast bowlers are always in the game."

India boast of a strong Test record at home and registered a 2-0 whitewash against the West Indies last month.

It was Gill's first home assignment as Test captain after he led the team to a 2-2 draw in a five-Test series in England as new skipper.

Gill, 26, is one of the few players in the current Indian set-up to play all three formats, and is fresh from a 2-1 T20 triumph in Australia.

"The challenge is definitely more mental than it is physical," Gill said.

"Bodily, I feel fine. Mentally, it can be challenging at times because the requirements for different formats in different places of the world is different... it's a good challenge and a good learning curve for me."

Gill said a series win over reigning World Test champions South Africa would boost India's ambition to make the final of the current cycle of the WTC.

"These two Tests are going to be very important to qualify for the WTC final," Gill said.