Bengaluru, July 27: South Africa will tour India from September this year to play 3 Twenty20 Internationals, 5 One Day Internationals and 3 Tests, it was confirmed today by both countries' cricket boards. It will be South Africa's longest tour (70 days) to India.
The tour will start in Delhi on September 29 when the Proteas will play a T20 practice match. The first of the 3 T20Is will be played on October 2 in Dharamsala. The tour ends on December 7 with the 3rd and final Test in Delhi.
"I am delighted to confirm, together with the BCCI, the Proteas' itinerary for our tour of India later this year," Cricket South Africa's (CSA) Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.
"This will be the longest tour that we have undertaken to India and the first time we will play a four-Test series. Both countries are now working to develop this into an icon series. Another first is that we will be playing our first T20 International match against India in India," he added.
One of the highlights of the tour is that South Africa's captain AB de Villiers will play his 100th Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
"Of note will be the second Test match to be played in Bangalore where the Castle Lager Proteas previously secured our only ever Test Series win over India in India in 2000. If all works out this will be AB de Villiers' 100th Test match and it could not be a more appropriate venue as it has become AB's second home through his involvement with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
"Being a landmark tour in the young history of Cricket South Africa, I wish to thank the BCCI for all the hard work that has been put in to scheduling this tour and I now look forward to the Test series becoming an iconic one," Lorgat added.
Tour schedule
September 29 (Thursday): T20 warm-up, New Delhi
October 2 (Friday): 1st T20I, Dharamsala
October 5 (Monday): 2nd T20I, Cuttack
October 8 (Thursday): 3rd T20I, Kolkata
October 11 (Sunday): 1st ODI, Kanpur
October 14 (Wednesday): 2nd ODI, Indore
October 18 (Sunday): 3rd ODI, Rajkot
October 22 (Thursday): 4th ODI, Chennai
October 25 (Sunday): 5th ODI, Mumbai
October 30-31 (Friday to Saturday): Tour game - South Africa Vs Board President's XI, Mumbai
November 5-9 (Thursday to Monday): 1st Test, Mohali
November 14-18 (Saturday to Wednesday): 2nd Test, Bengaluru
November 25-29 (Wednesday to Sunday): 3rd Test, Nagpur
December 3-7 (Thursday to Monday): 4th Test, New Delhi
OneIndia News