India A Set To Play 3 Unofficial Test Matches In South Africa Before SA Series
India will play two-match Test series against South Africa (X.com)
The World Cup 2023 is done and dusted, and as the attention moves to bilateral series, the big one for India is the two-match away Test series against South Africa. The first Test match is scheduled to start on the 'Boxing Day' - 26th of December 2023, and will be played at SuperSport Park, Centurion.
It is an important series for India in their bid to qualify for their third straight WTC final. They have started off this cycle with a bang, winning the two Test matches in West Indies comprehensively. However, South African series will be a tough challenge and India have never won the series in the rainbow nation.
In the last series in South Africa, between the two sides, India lost by 1-2 margin, after winning the first Test match of the three-match Test series. So, this time around, India seems to be in no mood to take any chances, and many senior players might well play the 3 four-day games for India A, before the series.
Also, after the World Cup heartbreak, the focus of Indian senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli is likely to be more on Test cricket. There is still doubt over their participation in T20Is for India, and along with Rohit and Virat, the likes of Ravi Ashwin, Jadeja, Shami might not be available for the white-ball leg of the tournament. They all might feature for India A though, which will give them enough practice and time to acclimatize in South African conditions known for their pace and bounce.
 "Aashay Chopade")
