Updated schedule for India's tour to South Africa confirmed, Centurion to host Boxing Day Test

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed the updated schedule for India’s tour to South Africa, which will take place later in the month. The tour will kick off with the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently informed that India had revised their schedule for the South Africa series.

As per the new arrangement, India will play three Tests and three ODIs in the Rainbow Nation. The four-match T20I series, which was supposed to be part of the tour, will be played at a later time.

As per the revised schedule, the first India-South Africa Test will be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion from December 26-30, and the New Year Test will be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg from January 3-7.

The third and final Test of the series will be held at Newlands, Cape Town from January 11 to 15.

The India-South Africa ODI series will commence with the first one-dayer at Boland Park in Paarl on January 19.

The second ODI will be played at the same venue from January 21 while the tour will conclude with the third match at Newlands in Cape Town on January 23.

The official CSA release stated:

"The Test series will form part of the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, while the ODI series will be played as a bilateral."

Amid concerns over a new COVID-19 variant, the entire series is set to be played under a strict bio-bubble.

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"South Africa is a tough challenge" - Virat Kohli

While Team India got the better of New Zealand at home in the two-match Test series that concluded on Monday, skipper Virat Kohli is aware that the South African tour will be a challenge of a completely different level.

Speaking after India’s 372-run triumph over New Zealand in the Mumbai Test, Kohli said:

"South Africa is a good challenge. We built it up in England and South Africa last time, and Australia was an accumulation of all that experience.

"South Africa is a tough challenge and a win that we want to achieve as a team. Hopefully, we can play in South Africa the way we know we can play, and win the series.”

India are yet to win a Test series in South Africa. During their previous tour in 2018, they lost the three-match series 2-1.