India’s failure to win a test series in South Africa, in eight attempts, is one of the few remaining unclimbed mountains in test cricket and their determination to put that record right increases with every visit to South Africa’s shores.
South Africa is equally keen to preserve that precious record which has resulted in both teams unapologetically focussing their squad selections on having their best players fully fit and refreshed for the two five-day matches which get underway at Supersport Park on December 26 and Newlands on January 3.
Not only have pace spearhead, Kagiso Rabada, and captain Temba Bavuma been rested from both the three-match T20I and ODI series which precede the first test but the entire fast bowling unit which is contention for the test matches have been omitted from the ODI series in order to play a four-day domestic match for their provinces.
Although it means there will be no Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee in the 50-over matches, it does provide opportunities for Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Ottniel Baartman and allrounder Mihlali Mpongwana to show what they can do in the format which won’t take the global centre stage again until the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
India, too, have chopped and changed their squads for all three formats and the BCCI were only too happy to acquiesce when captain Rohit Sharma, his predecessor Virat Kohli and the leader of the attack, Jasprit Bumrah, asked not to be considered for the two white-ball series. They all know it will almost certainly be their last chance to create test history in this country.
🟢 SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT 🟡
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 4, 2023
CSA has today named the Proteas squads for the all-format inbound tour against India from 10 Dec – 7 Jan 🇿🇦🇮🇳
Captain Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are amongst a group of players that have been omitted for the white-ball leg of the tour in order to… pic.twitter.com/myFE24QZaz
The closest India have come to winning a series was over a decade ago when the three-match series was shared one-all. South Africa have won the other seven.
The hosts won the first test of the 2010-11 series by a whopping innings and 25 runs but the tourists bounced back to win a low-scoring encounter at Kingsmead by 87 runs with Harbhajan Singh claiming 4-10 to help bowl South Africa out for just 131 in their first innings.
Two of the greatest batters of all time, Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis, traded first-innings centuries in the decider at Newlands but Kallis replied with another, brilliant hundred in the second innings to ensure a draw and a shared series.
Focused on the task at hand this Sunday 🧐
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 7, 2023
New faces and new opportunities for the Proteas 🏏
Durban are you ready for the first T20I between #SAvIND 🇿🇦🇮🇳#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/DER9K0sMwZ
But it wasn’t even the best chance India have created for themselves to win. Twice they have won the first test of a three-match series only to lose both of the remaining fixtures. In the 2006-07 tour an inspired S.Sreesanth took 5-40 as South Africa were bowled out for a miserable 84 at Wanderers to lose by 123 runs. But the next two tests, at Kingsmead and Newlands, were both won comfortably by the Proteas.
Just two years ago, with a tense and determined captain, Kohli, straining at the leash, India made the perfect start with victory by 113 runs at Supersport Park. But once again South Africa bounced back with two seven-wicket wins, both chasing fourth innings targets of over 250. The experience was so deflating for Kohli that he resigned the captaincy shortly afterwards.
Now, unburdened by the leadership, he will surely play a prominent role during what really should be India’s best chance in 30 years to finally win in South Africa. If they can do that the results of the T20I and ODI series will be quickly and happily forgotten – although they will start both of those series as favourites.
PROTEAS T20I SQUAD AGAINST INDIA
Matthew Breetzke, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi,
PROTEAS ODI SQUAD AGAINST INDIA
Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (captain), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Mihlali Mpongwana, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lizaad Williams.
PROTEAS TEST SQUAD AGAINST INDIA
Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger.