Cricket: South Africa to play 'landmark' four-Test series in India

South African cricketer AB de Villiers throws a ball during a training session. PHOTO: AFP

Reuters - South Africa will play four Test matches in India for the first time as part of their longest tour to the sub-continent later this year, the country's cricket board announced on Monday.

The Proteas will also play five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches between Oct 2 and Dec 7 in what has been described as a landmark tour by Cricket South Africa (CSA).

"This will be the longest tour that we have undertaken to India and the first time we will play a four-Test series," CSA chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

"Both countries are now working to develop this into an icon series. Another first is that we will be playing our first Twenty20 International match against India in India."

If fit, leading South African batsman AB de Villiers will play his 100th Test in Bangalore, a city he represents in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

South Africa have drawn their previous two Test series in India, the last in 2010, but claimed a 2-0 series win in 2000, their only success in five visits since readmission to international cricket in 1992.

Fixtures: Oct 2: 1st T20, Dharamshala, Oct 5: 2nd T20, Cuttack, Oct 8: 3rd T20, Kolkata, Oct 11: 1st ODI, Kanpur, Oct 14: 2nd ODI, Indore, Oct 18: 3rd ODI, Rajkot, Oct 22: 4th ODI, Chennai, Oct 25: 5th ODI, Mumbai, Nov 5-9: 1st Test, Mohali, Nov 14-18: 2nd Test, Bangalore, Nov 25-29: 3rd Test, Nagpur, Dec 3-7: 4th Test, Delhi.

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