South Africa have never lost to Zimbabwe in the longest format of the game.
Zimbabwe is set to host South Africa in a two-match Test series and the first Test begins today in Bulawayo with stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj winning the toss and opting to bat first. Temba Bavuma, the regular skipper, is absent for this series.
The defending champions will commence their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle against Pakistan in October. But the Proteas side this time is without two of their WTC Final heroes, in Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram. Craig Ervine will lead the hosts, who have registered just a solitary win in their last 13 Test appearances.
Ervine and his men last played a Test match in the month of May in England, which they lost comprehensively. They will be itching to put their best foot forward. But with South Africa recently winning the WTC Final, it won’t be that easy for the hosts. Having said that, Keshav Maharaj will lead the side in the absence of Bavuma, Markram, and Tristan Stubbs. The off-spinner has not led the Proteas in the longest format, and this series will be a stern test.
Skipper Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, due to an injury he suffered during the WTC 2025 Final. He is suffering from a hamstring strain and will undergo further scans to determine the extent of the injury. Bavuma expressed that after he came to know about the injury, he went against the medical advice given to him because he wanted to be on the field when the team needed him the most. This is the third hamstring injury Bavuma has suffered in less than two years, which will concern the Proteas. To add to that, he also has a series of elbow injuries and has been playing with a heavily strapped left elbow.
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Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs have been rested for the series, citing workload management. The cricket board of South Africa has roped in five youngsters who can make an impressive debut and will want to prove a point. Some exciting prospects for the visitors include left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka, Lesego Senokwane, and Prenelan Subrayen.
These two teams last played a Test match in 2017. Expectedly, the South Africans have never gone down to Zimbabwe in the longest format. In the nine matches played so far, the Proteas have managed to win eight, with just one draw, which came in 2001 at the same venue. With important players not there in the line-up, the Zimbabweans will look at this as an opportunity to turn the tables.
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke, Wiaan Mulder, David Bedingham, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne(w), Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj(c), Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka
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