South Africa vs India Test series could begin from January 5

After initial plans of hosting India in December for the Boxing Day Test, South Africa’s plans were foiled with India arriving in the last week of December in the country and wanting some time to get used to the conditions including by playing a practice match. With that in mind, India’s Test series against South Africa is slated to begin on January 5 or 6 in Cape Town. The two teams are scheduled to play four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is as per ICC’s Future Tours Programme. Both BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) are likely to put pen to paper on the deal in some days, says an ESPNCricinfo report. The boards have been going back and forth to finalise the schedule since the start of the year. In August BCCI had made it clear that India’s ODI series against Sri Lanka would only conclude on December 24 and the team would reach South Africa in the last week. Usually the norm is for the New Year’s Test to be played at Newlands from January 2 but due to BCCI’s persistence the first Test won’t begin until three or four days later. CSA pressed BCCI to go ahead with January 2 start to ensure maximum gate money but to no avail. BCCI reiterated its stance of the Indian team needing preparation time ahead of the long series and desire to play at least one warm-up game. As per sources mentioned in the report, BCCI didn’t take too kindly to CSA negotiating schedule with Australia – who follow India – before the dates were finalised with the number one Test team. “Now they (CSA) are trying to fit in everything within a short window,” the official is quoted as saying. South Africa will thus play nine Tests including a Boxing Day Test – for which an opponent is yet to be finalised – in a short summer window. The planning has already drawn criticism from the South Africa Cricketers’ Association (SACA) head Tony Irish who has called it a “gruelling schedule” and it would “compound the workload of the players”. BCCI also have to ensure that players are not overworked and thus risking injury. India play Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in consecutive series at home before playing a T20 tri-series in the island nation and the IPL. “It’s a very difficult one. I’ve got some sympathy for the BCCI itself in trying to work out which dates. Of course, we are trying to have [the Test] as early as New Year start as possible,” said CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat last week. “They are looking at travel arrangements, dates, when they finish the last fixture. I wouldn’t put our team on a flight the very next day after they complete a game. You need a day or two at home. So these are the logistics we are grappling with.”