South Africa’s toughest examination begins on Indian shores having lost six of their previous seven Tests in India.
The World Test Champions begin their toughest test in India.
The fact that South Africa, the format’s world champions, had not even been able to compete in their past seven Test matches in India, their next opponent, demonstrates the range of conditions Test cricket offers. They completely lost six of those Tests, and if it weren’t for the weather, they would have won the seventh.
South Africa has suffered under a number of circumstances, even within India. They were surpassed in 2015–16 by a youthful team for which the team’s management saw raging turners as essential. Then, in 2019–20, South Africa’s home spinners, who averaged 27.18 compared to their fast bowlers’ 17.50, were blanked by enormous margins against an established home squad on excellent batting conditions.
The world champions have more experience and are therefore better prepared to compete in what must be South Africa’s hardest tour in 2025–2026, even though they don’t have any notable new players in their attack.
South Africa will also be hoping that India, a squad currently in transition after suffering a shocking defeat to New Zealand last year, hasn’t figured out how to win at home. They were not totally impervious, even though they blanked the West Indies earlier in the season.
However, as was the case with New Zealand last year, South Africa will need almost everything to go their way in order to win a Test on this tour. South Africa only started their title defence with a 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month, while India are presently third on the WTC points table after defeating the West Indies 2-0 and drawing 2-2 in England.