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.

Sri Lanka’s cricket board said Thursday that its players will remain in Pakistan to complete a one-day international series and a subsequent T20 tri-series, with all games to be played in Rawalpindi.At least eight players had asked to leave over security fears after Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people and wounded 27.Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the decision to stay for next week’s tri-series, which also includes Zimbabwe, was taken after “close consultations” with hosts Pakistan who had given security assurances.Sri Lanka Cricket had threatened disciplinary action against any players who tried to leave Pakistan.”We lined up substitute players to be sent to continue with the tournament, but now that the squad has agreed to stay, we won’t be sending anyone,” an SLC official told AFP.All tri-series fixtures will now be played in Rawalpindi, which neighbours Islamabad, but has heavy security. Originally four of the six round-robin matches and the final had been scheduled to take place in Lahore.The ODI series was already being played in Rawalpindi, with the second match put back by a day to Friday and the third, originally due on Saturday, moved to Sunday.The T20 tri-series was scheduled to start on Monday but will also begin a day later with the final now also a day later on November 29.”Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour,” said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi on social media. “The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright.”Six Sri Lankan players were wounded in March 2009 when gunmen opened fire on their team bus as it was taking them to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for a Test match.The incident led to international teams staying away from Pakistan for nearly a decade.Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six runs in the opening ODI in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, a game that went ahead despite the suicide attack in nearby Islamabad.The PCB said security around the visiting team had been tightened following the attack.Naqvi met Sri Lankan players at their Islamabad hotel on Wednesday and assured them of their safety, Sri Lankan officials said, adding that the number of guards for the squad has been doubled.