India will play two Tests each against West Indies and South Africa at home.
After facing the West Indies, the next home series for India will be against the reigning WTC champions, South Africa. India will play two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is against South Africa. The two Tests will be played in Guwahati and Kolkata.
As per a report in The Times of India, the Indian team management wants flatter pitches for the West Indies Test series that stay true for most of the match duration. On the other hand, it has requested the venues hosting the South Africa Test series to make surfaces that support spinners.
The last Test series India played at home was against New Zealand, where they were outclassed 0-3 by the Kiwis. This was the first time India was whitewashed at home in over 3 decades and the first Test series loss at home since 2012. It also cost India a chance to qualify for the WTC 2025 final.
“It has been communicated to the curators that the team wants to play on sporting pitches that won’t have overtly variable bounce and turn from Day One. One can expect the matches to go on till the fourth day during the West Indies series,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Over the past two years, the ground at Arun Jaitley Stadium has gained recognition for its high-scoring white-ball matches and good carry. In order to prepare for the South Africa series, the goal is to give Indian batters as much middle-field experience as possible against the West Indies.
Remarkably, Nitish Kumar Reddy, a seam bowling all-rounder, has also been selected by India for the West Indies series.
Even with Hardik Pandya available for Test cricket, India has hardly ever selected a seam-bowling all-rounder for a home series. Guwahati and Kolkata will host the two Test matches against South Africa. Since this would be the first test of the series at the venue, it will be interesting to observe how Guwahati reacts to the team management's request. Eden Gardens is known for its high bounce, which facilitates seam bowling.
Keshav Maharaj is a world-class spinner from South Africa. However, it should be mentioned that last year, India had trouble facing Glenn Phillips, Ajaz Patel, and Mitchell Santner on pitches that aided spin.
When preparing for the Test season, South Africa's strong pace attack might be taken into consideration. The reputation of South Africa's batting when it comes to playing spin is not good. The management of the Indian team is aware that if they hope to guarantee their spot in the 2027 WTC final, they cannot falter at home.
(Times of India inputs)