Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Twenty-five years since their last Test series win in India, South Africa return with renewed belief, experience, and the ambition to end one of their longest barren runs in world cricket. The reigning World Test Championship winners, led by Temba Bavuma, will begin their 2025-26 tour at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 14, aiming to become only the second visiting side since 2012 to win a series in India. The variety of conditions that Test cricket offers is evident from how even the world champions have struggled to compete in India. South Africa have lost six of their last seven Tests here comprehensively, and were on their way in the seventh before rain intervened.
Even within India, the Proteas’ struggles have spanned all types of conditions. In 2015-16, a young Indian side outplayed them on turning pitches that the hosts themselves had requested. Four years later, in 2019-20, South Africa were blanked again — this time on good batting surfaces that offered little to the spinners. India’s spinners averaged 27.18 in that series, while their fast bowlers were even more effective, averaging just 17.50.
This time, South Africa arrive not with new faces but with a more seasoned group. Keshav Maharaj, their lead spinner on the previous tour, returns as the senior statesman of the attack. Simon Harmer, who featured in 2015-16, is back as well, while Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada — the team’s bowling banker — complete a familiar core.
mIndia, meanwhile, enter the series in transition. A shock home loss to New Zealand last year exposed a few cracks, even though they bounced back to blank West Indies earlier this season. Currently third on the World Test Championship points table after a 2-2 draw in England and a 2-0 win against West Indies.
