The Test series between India and South Africa starting tomorrow promises to deliver some action-packed cricket. This is the first time since the debacle of last year, when they lost 0-3 to New Zealand, that India will be defending their home turf against a quality team. Unlike the West Indies, which failed to put up much of a fight, the reigning world champions, South Africa, are likely to test India every step along the way. The stage is set. The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host a Test match after five years, marking the start of South Africa’s new World Test Championship cycle. With matchups like Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah vs Aiden Markram, several intriguing subplots are already taking shape.
However, amid all the excitement, Faf du Plessis has one complaint: the length of the series. The series, once decided over three or even five matches, has now shrunk to just two Tests, a practice the former South Africa captain isn’t fond of. And rightly so. By the time players find their rhythm, the series is already over, a scenario that can feel anticlimactic, especially when the battle involves two world-class teams.
“It’s unfortunate that there are only two Test matches. That’s the downside of the new schedule these days. You almost feel like that, just when you start to get into the series, the series is over. I am a fan of minimum three Test matches, but it’s something that’s been happening a lot more around these days,” Faf du Plessis, captain, Joburg Super Kings, said on the sidelines of the SA20.
Why no Boxing Day Test for the World Champions?
The previous Test series between India and South Africa was also a two-match affair, ending in a 1-1 draw early last year. That was before South Africa earned the title of World Test Championship winners. Following a long tour of India that includes five T20Is and three ODIs, attention then shifts to December 26, the traditional Boxing Day, which also marks the start of the fourth season of the successful SA20 league. South Africa last hosted India in December 2024, and while the MCG prepares for the fourth Ashes Test, a Boxing Day fixture for the reigning Test world champions would have been fitting. However, as former captain Graeme Smith acknowledges, that’s not quite how things usually operate within Cricket South Africa.
“It’s always been the case in such a cycle. Cricket South Africa has never had international cricket in this window. The South African team is here until December 20, followed by the SA20 and the T20 World Cup in India. So it’s a very small window, and I don’t think South Africa has ever had a schedule like this, let alone being the WTC winners,” said Smith, league commissioner of the SA20, while addressing the media on Thursday.
