SOUTH AFRICA AND THEIR ‘FRUSTRATION’ WITH 2-TEST SERIES

THESE are supposed to be heady days for South African men’s cricket.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

SA's Temba Bavuma addresses the press on Friday | PTI

(PTI)

They are the world Test champions. Under an inspirational leader, they have gelled as a unit. After multiple attempts, they finally have a thriving T20 franchise league. Now, they are potentially five days away from completing a series win in India, an achievement only one visiting team has achieved in this country in the last 12 years (New Zealand last year).

But therein lies a dichotomy. For all their excellence, the Proteas have not been playing three-Test series. Once a staple, teams like South Africa no longer play a long long-format series. In fact, the last time they played a three-match Test series came in Australia in the 2022-23 season. Since then, in 10 back-to-back series (including the current one), they have never played longer than two matches.