The series involves two unofficial Tests and three ODIs respectively.
South Africa are set to take India on in a complete bilateral series, which will commence on November 14. The series will be an important juncture for both the teams, and will give them a chance to improve their footing in the World Test Championship (WTC) table. However, the India A vs South Africa A series involving two unofficial Tests and three unofficial ODIs will start on October 30.
Both the cricket boards have named the squads for the series, which will act as some good preparation ahead of the Test series. Rishabh Pant, who is returning from injury was named the captain of India A, whereas Temba Bavuma will feature in the second unofficial Test. Marques Ackerman will led the side in both the matches.
The two unofficial Test matches will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), whereas the three ODIs will be played in Rajkot on November 13, 16 and 19 respectively. Temba Bavuma, who was sidelined due to a calf-strain will be back at the helm to lead the Proteas in the two-match Test series starting mid-November.
Here are 5 Players To Watch Out For In The India A vs South Africa A Unofficial Tests.
Speak of the Indian Test team, and one of the first names to be noted down would be Rishabh Pant. Over the years, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has grown up the ranks wonderfully to establish himself in the Indian setup for the longest format. To add to that, Pant was the vice-captain of the in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and is expected to take up the role again.
The 28-year-old was sidelined due to an injury, which he suffered during the first innings of the fourth Test against England. Due to the same, he missed the two-match Test series against the West Indies. However, he has recovered well in time to feature as the captain in the India A series. His performance in the India A vs South Africa A unofficial Tests would mean a lot to the Indian fans.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper was recently on a title-winning spree. He won the Indian Premier League (IPL) in his first year as captain of the franchise, and also helped his domestic side to some titles. Ahead of the all-important South Africa series, Rajat Patidar could be the key to India’s middle-order loopholes.
With KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the batting and India wanting to utilize Sai Sudharsan at No.3, the chances for Patidar in the top-order are very minimal. The middle-order is where he can make a difference, but all he can target is the No.5 spot. Having said that, the RCB skipper is coming off a good run of form, and a lot will be expected from him in the first India A vs South Africa A unofficial Test.
The youngster from Tamil Nadu has made his way up to the No.3 spot in the Test side. In recent times, Sai Sudharsan has been a regular feature in the spot that Cheteshwar Pujara once mastered. Though he is very new to the spot, the Indian management has shown signs of persistence with Sudharsan at No.3, as far his batting position is concerned.
In the five Test he’s played in his brief career, the Gujarat Titans (GT) opener has piled up 273 runs with two fifties, one of which came in the recent series against the West Indies. The left-hander has shown a lot of promise in the top-order, but will have to persist and showcase consistent performances. The India A series against South Africa A would be a great opportunity for Sudharsan. To add to that, he is named the vice-captain for the second India A vs South Africa A unofficial Test.
The South African Test skipper is set to make a comeback into the side for their series against Indian in November. Temba Bavuma was recovering from a calf strain, which he suffered during the ODI series against England. The injury sidelined him from the sport for quite a while. He will feature in the second unofficial Test after missing the first one.
The 35-year-old Protea skipper missed the current tour to Pakistan, where his team levelled the series to win in the second Test. Come the second unofficial Test against India A, Bavuma would love to use it as an opportunity to test himself and get back to form ahead of the all-important series against India starting November 14.
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The 30-year-old was a part of the Proteas squad on their recent tour to Pakistan. Though he did not get a single game to feature in, Zubayr Hamza has shown his potential across the longest format of the game over the years. He has only played eight Test matches in his brief career, but has been in the scheme of things since a considerable period of years.
The right-handed batter is also a part of the two-match Test series against India next month. He is most suited to play at three, and has scored majority of his runs at that position. Come the India A vs South Africa A series, Zubayr Hamza would be one of the favourite picks for the Proteas, as they prepare to conquer the Indians in the series.
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