Team India to enter Mumbai bio-bubble on Sunday; will leave for South Africa on December 16 – Sources
Team India’s touring party to South Africa will assemble in Mumbai on December 12 before taking off for Johannesburg on the 16th, sources close to the team told Sportskeeda. India will play three Tests and as many ODIs starting with the Boxing Day Test.
After wrapping up a 1-0 series victory against New Zealand on Monday, Virat Kohli’s boys got a much-needed break from bio-secure environment as they all left for their homes last night. However, before spending even a week with their loved ones, the players and support staff will be back in another bio-bubble.
As per sources close to the Indian team, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Team India to regroup in Mumbai on Sunday (December 12) where they will undergo a four-day quarantine. The cohort will then depart for Johannesburg from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport on Thursday (December 16).
Meanwhile, the Chetan Sharma-led national selection committee is yet to announce the squads. While Virat Kohli’s ODI captaincy will come up for discussion, the selectors and team management will also have a hard time choosing between players who did well in the recently-concluded Kiwi series and those who sat out.
Also read: “Going to have a discussion straightaway when we go to the hotel now” – Virat Kohli on deciding b/w India's incumbent & in-form players
Opener Mayank Agarwal more than made up for injured KL Rahul’s absence by finishing as the highest run-getter in the Test series – 242 runs at a staggering average of 60.50. Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha too caught everyone’s eye with some exceptional glovework and a game-changing 61* off 126 balls in the second innings in Kanpur. Rishabh Pant had chosen to take a break from the two-Test series.
Middle-order mainstays Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, though, again came a cropper. While Pujara managed 95 runs from four innings, Rahane missed the Mumbai Test due to a minor left hamstring strain. One shouldn’t be surprised if young guns Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill are tried out in the middle order in South Africa.
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Full schedule for India vs South Africa 2021/22 (Timings in IST)
Amid the ongoing Omicron variant that has gripped Africa, the Indian cricket board and Cricket South Africa (CSA) mutually decided to go ahead with the Test and ODI series and play the four-match T20I assignment at a later date next year.
1st Test: December 26 to 30 – SuperSport Park, Centurion – 1:30 PM
2nd Test: January 3 to 7 – Imperial Wanderers, Johannesburg – 1:30 PM
3rd Test: January 11 to 15 – Six Gun Grill Newlands, Cape Town – 2:00 PM
1st ODI: January 19, Wednesday – Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl – 2:00 PM
2nd ODI: January 21, Friday – Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl – 2:00 PM
3rd ODI: January 23, Sunday – Six Gun Grill Newlands, Cape Town – 2:00 PM
South Africa Test squad: Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma (vice-captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Kagiso Rabada, Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Prenelan Subrayen, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickelton, Duanne Olivier.