South Africa announces return of traditional Boxing Day Test
South Africa will first host India with the limited-overs leg of two Twenty20 Internationals and seven One-Day Internationals between November 18 and December 15, following which the two teams will play three Tests starting with the Boxing Day match in Durban from December 26.
Cricket South Africa announced the return of the traditional Boxing Day Test in Durban while unveiling their home schedule for the 2013-14 season featuring India and Australia. The fixture was cancelled last season, when South Africa opted to play three T20s against New Zealand in the hope of attracting more spectators.
South Africa will first host India with the limited-overs leg of two Twenty20 Internationals and seven One-Day Internationals between November 18 and December 15, following which the two teams will play three Tests starting with the Boxing Day match in Durban from December 26.
India drew the Test series 1-1 the last time they travelled to South Africa in December-January 2010-11.
"It promises to be a wonderful summer of hotly contested international cricket," said Naasei Appiah, CSA's acting CEO. "India are the current undisputed champions of 50-overs cricket and it was not that long ago that they briefly held the No. 1 ranking in Test cricket as well.
"The Indian players have always been very popular in South Africa and their maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, has currently played 198 Test matches. It would be wonderful for his 200th Test match to be in front of a packed New Year's crowd at Sahara Park Newlands."
South Africa'a summer extends well into February and March with Australia scheduled to tour for three Tests followed by three T20Is that will set the tone for their preparations ahead of the fifth edition of the ICC World Twenty20 2014 in Bangladesh.
"Any series between Australia and South Africa in any sporting code always promises a spectacle of note and a contest worthy of some of sport's most famous moments," Appiah said. "Australia will be battle-hardened after successive home and away Ashes series against England."
Fixtures for India's tour:
November 18: T20 Tour match, India v SA Invitation at Potchefstroom (Day/Night)
November 21: 1st T20I at Wanderers, Johannesburg (Day/Night)
November 24: 2nd T20I at Newlands, Cape Town (Day)
November 27: 1st ODI at Kingsmead, Durban (Day/Night)
November 30: 2nd ODI at St. George's, Port Elizabeth (Day)
December 3: 3rd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (Day/Night)
December 6: 4th ODI at SuperSport Park, Centurion (Day/Night)
December 8: 5th ODI at Wanderers, Johannesburg (Day)
December 12: 6th ODI at Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein (Day/Night)
December 15: 7th ODI at Newlands, Cape Town (Day)
December 18-19: India v SA Invitation XI, Boland Park, Paarl (Warm-up)
December 22-23: India v SA Invitation XI, The Oval, Pietermaritzburg (Warm-up)
December 26-30: 1st Test at Kingsmead, Durban
January 2-6: 2nd Test, Newlands, Cape Town
January 15-19: 3rd Test, Wanderers, Johannesburg
Fixtures for Australia's tour:
February 5-8: Australia v SA Invitation XI, Potchefstroom
February 12-16: 1st Test, Centurion
February 20-24: 2nd Test, Port Elizabeth
March 1-5: 3rd Test, Cape Town
March 9: 1st T20I at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth (Day)
March 12: 2nd T20I at Kingsmead, Durban (Day/Night)
March 14: 3rd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion (Day/Night)