Veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj believes the India tour stands as one of the most demanding assignments for South Africa. The Proteas, led by a fresh crop of players, are determined to end their long wait for a Test victory in India, their last coming back in 2010 at Nagpur.
Following the departure of South Africa’s golden generation, the current lineup has made impressive progress. The team won the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord’s earlier this year. They started the new cycle with a drawn Test series against Pakistan last month. Now, they prepare for a two-match Test series in India beginning Friday. The Proteas are eager to test their progress against one of the toughest subcontinental opponents.
Proteas Aim to Break a 15-Year Drought in India
Winning Tests in India has proven elusive for the Proteas over the past decade. Their last success came under a team filled with legends like Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, and Dale Steyn.
The new generation wants to change that. “It’s probably one of the toughest tours, if not the toughest tour, in the Proteas calendar through various generations that have come. There’s a real hunger and desire within the camp to obviously beat India in India,” Maharaj said, as quoted by ICC.
He continued, “As a unit, we feel like it’s one of our biggest tests. Whenever someone needs to put their hand up, it’s shared amongst the group wholeheartedly. It will be a wonderful opportunity to grade ourselves, to see how far we’ve come.”
Maharaj, Muthusamy, and Harmer Lead Spin Charge
Maharaj’s nine-wicket haul in Pakistan earned him the Player of the Match award, while Senuran Muthusamy claimed Player of the Series honors with 11 wickets and vital runs. The duo, along with Simon Harmer, are expected to play a central role on India’s turning tracks.
Maharaj believes the pitches might still have something to offer everyone. “I think it will be good wickets that deteriorate as the game goes on. Think if you watched a bit of the West Indies series, now that India played against the West Indies at home, it was good wickets that went, you know, almost to day four and five,” he noted. “I do believe that the narrative is changing in terms of getting wickets. You want to give yourself the best chance when you’re in home conditions.”
South Africa Focused on Precision and Team Unity
The experienced spinner said that South Africa’s preparation has been more refined this cycle. “There’s a real preciseness about how we’ve gone about our business throughout this cycle so far and in the previous cycle in the subcontinent,” Maharaj stated.
“Just focusing on those things and focusing on the skills that we do really well as a unit. I think partnerships have been a big one for us; whether it be bowling or batting partnerships, it’s important,” he added.
With a renewed sense of belief and tactical clarity, the Proteas are eyeing a rare victory in India — one that could signal the return of South Africa as a major Test force.
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