South Africa to play four Tests on long India tour

NEW DELHI: South Africa will four Tests for the first time in India when they undertake their longest cricket tour of this country later this year to contest all three formats over a nine-week period, the Indian board announced on Monday.

The tour, which comprises three Twenty20 matches, five One-day Internationals and four Tests, will run between Sept 29 and Dec 7.

It will be the first time South Africa will play a Twenty20 international on Indian soil in preparation for the World Twenty20 which will be held across India in March-April next year.

South Africa have also never contested a four-Test series in India before, adding a new challenge for Hashim Amla’s top-ranked Proteas side.

The visit has been described as a landmark tour by Cricket South Africa (CSA).

“This will be the longest tour that we have undertaken to India and the first time we will play a four-Test series,” CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat said in a statement. “Both countries are now working to develop this into an icon series. Another first is that we will be playing our first Twenty20 International match against India in India.”

If fit, leading South African batsman A.B. de Villiers will play his 100th Test in Bangalore, a city he represents in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

South Africa have drawn their previous two Test series in India, the last in 2010, but did claim a 2-0 series win in 2000, their only success in five visits since readmission to international cricket in 1992.

The tour starts with the three T20 games from Oct 2 to 8, followed by the five one-dayers from Oct 11 to 25.

The four Tests will be played in Mohali (Nov 5-9), Bangalore (Nov 14-18), Nagpur (Nov 25-29) and New Delhi (Dec 3-7).

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier allotted one of the Tests in the series to Ahmedabad. With the Motera Stadium going under renovation, Mohali has been allotted the Test match, while the T20, which was scheduled to be held in Mohali, has been moved to Cuttack.

Schedule:

Sept 29: T20 practice match (Delhi).

Oct 2: First Twenty20 International (Dharamsala, D/N).

Oct 5: Second Twenty20 International (Cuttack, D/N).

Oct 8: Third Twenty20 International (Kolkata, D/N).

Oct 11: First One-day International (Kanpur).

Oct 14: Second One-day International (Indore, D/N).

Oct 18: Third One-day International (Rajkot, D/N).

Oct 22: Fourth One-day International (Chennai, D/N).

Oct 25: Fifth One-day International (Mumbai, D/N).

Oct 30-31: vs Board President’s XI (Mumbai).

Nov 5-9: First Test (Mohali).