The Test series against India is going to be a hard one for South Africa especially since they have not been able to win a Test match in India since 2010. Therefore, it has been 15 years since they achieved a victory over India in away matches.
Backed by their strong performances in past encounters, the challenge in 2025 will be nothing but bigger. Two of the players in the 15-man squad are coming to India for the very first time.
Even though the very new blood has the qualities of being fresh and full of energy, the longer version one is quite maybe an unknown territory for the major portion of the team.
Among the present players, Zubayr Hamza and Senuran Muthuswamy were the only ones to be in India during the South African tour of 2019, while Simon Harmer went there in 2015 to gain experience of the difficult and turning pitch hailed as the God’s Own Cricket Land.
South Africans All Set to Make a Mark in The Sub Continent
Kyle Verreynne, who is a slightly inexperienced Test veteran of South Africa, is one of team’s best and a critical member for both bat and gloves. Verreynne’s List A cricket experience in India is only limited to two games during South Africa A tour in 2019. From then on he has got himself established as a main player of the Proteas team and with a very little knowledge of India, Verreynne will be wanting to show his skills there.
Ryan Rickelton, a relatively experienced batter, had earlier faced the Indian conditions only once, and that was in his first IPL season in 2025 with the Mumbai Indians. He was able to show off his talent by scoring three fifties in 14 matches during IPL 2025, however, the red-ball game is a totally different challenge that Rickelton will have to adapt to on a pitch that he has never been on.
Brevis, Stubbs in, but how flexible are they?
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Dewald Brevis is a name that is quite popular in India, especially after he won the hearts of Chennai Super Kings fans following his silent seasons with the Mumbai Indians earlier on. Nevertheless, this will be Brevis’ first Test on Indian soil after his only a half-century on his Test debut.
Tristan Stubbs is another young prodigy who is supposed to shine during the India series, but he has had a tough year being continuously moved around the batting order as No. 3, 4 and 5. For the India series, he might be trying to get the spot along with Tony de Zorzi or Wiaan Mulder.
Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch are likewise new to Indian conditions in Test cricket. Jansen’s big-match temperament has matured after he was successful in the most recent IPL. He has played 50 matches in India but only one red-ball game, which was during the 2019 South Africa A tour, where he took two wickets for 59 runs. Interestingly, he has played only one Test in the subcontinent, which was against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, and he could not take any wickets
Corbin Bosch, an all-rounder potentially at par with the bowlers as well as batsmen, had a remarkable 2024 season that also saw him being picked for South Africa’s debut across all formats. Still, even if he might remain a backup for this series, his increasing acceptance in Test cricket might still be a threat to India.
Inexperienced Zorzi, red-hot Mulder all set for a litmus test on Indian soil?
Tony de Zorzi is already quite a celebrity in the red-ball cricket circuit of South Africa, but one thing that should not be forgotten is that he has yet to feature in matches of any format in India. Still, his excellent ability to handle spin ma kes him a good bet for the first Test starting on November 14 at Eden Gardens.
Wiaan Mulder has been the jack of all trades for the Proteas, helping with both bat and ball, batting from number 3 to 8, taking turns as captain, and even having his unforgettable 367-run partnership. Mulder is just the type of player a team would want, but his adaptability could make it tough to select him against India.
Mulder was in the South Africa A team that went to India in 2019, where he was the top run-getter. That tour was, however, his only assignment in Indian cricket, and a comeback after six years will necessitate huge effort if India puts up strong challenges.
Rebuilding phase ahead
South Africa is planning to start from scratch with the presence of the experienced players Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, and Kagiso Rabada in the team. Coming straight from their World Test Championship victory in 2025, the squad under the captaincy of Bavuma will think that this is their best chance to conquer India in their country after more than ten years.
