Several senior players are expected to join the India ‘A’ squad for one of the three scheduled four-day matches in South Africa as part of their preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series against the host nation.
India is planning a series of three ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa from December 10 to 21. During this time, India ‘A’ will also have a shadow tour in South Africa.
Senior players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, and Jaydev Unadkat can use this opportunity to practice and refine their skills before rejoining the main squad for the Test series against South Africa.
As per PTI, regular India ‘A’ players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, B Sai Sudharsan, Yash Dhull, KS Bharat, Upendra Yadav, and Saurabh Kumar are likely to participate. These matches can serve as valuable preparation for the upcoming 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, set to commence from January 5 onwards.
“Yes, there are three four-day Tests between India ‘A’ and South Africa ‘A’ next month. The team for that will be announced in some days.”
“Most of the consistent young performers along with those (seniors) who need some game time before the two Test matches in Centurion (December 26 to 30) and Cape Town (January 3-7) will be there,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.”
The BCCI has organized simultaneous exposure for the ‘A’ team, aligning their tours with the main squad. While shadow tours were prevalent until the Bangladesh tour in late 2022, the emphasis shifted from red-ball cricket to the 50-over format thereafter.
Incorporating shadow tours into the plan once more, the ‘A’ team will have a chance to engage in three four-day matches against the England Lions.
This coincides with the England Lions, led by Ben Stokes, playing five Tests against India. The BCCI had also sent the ‘A’ team during India’s last tour of South Africa in 2021-22, amidst the prevalence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
India’s most recent Test series was against West Indies in July 2023
Rohit Sharma and his team embarked on a tour of the West Indies to commence their 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The upcoming South Africa tour is their second series in this cycle, with the first home series scheduled for 2024.
India has never secured a Test series victory in South Africa. Despite taking a 1-0 lead in their previous tour, they ultimately lost the series 2-1, resulting in Virat Kohli stepping down as the Test captain.
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