South Africa to host India in a three-match Test series starting January 5

THE BCCI has announced that India will play three Test matches in South Africa, starting January 5, next year.The opening Test will be played in Cape Town while details of the remaining two Tests, as well as six ODIs and three T20Is, are set to be announced later.

Cricket South Africa chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, admitted it had been necessary “to compromise to some extent” in order to fit in a tour between the end of India’s series against Sri Lanka, ending on 24 December, and the start of a Test series between South Africa and Australia starting on 1 March.

It is learnt that the original plan was for four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. However, due to the time constraints faced by Virat Kohli’s team, the two boards had to settle with three Test matches. Lorgat added,

“The time constraints faced by India have forced us to reduce the Test matches to three while increasing white ball cricket to six ODIs and three T20I matches.”

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