Three new caps in SA squad for India Tests

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa on Tuesday named three uncapped players in their squad for three Test matches in India in October, the first matches for both teams in the world Test championship.

Fast bowler Anrich Nortje, wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy were picked for the 15-man squad for a three-Test series which starts in Visakhapatnam on October 2.

Muthusamy is one of three spinners in the squad, joining fellow left-armer Keshav Maharaj and off-spinner Dane Piedt, who have both been capped previously. Maharaj has been South Africa’s number one spin bowler since making his debut in Australia in 2016-17.

In a squad hit by the retirements of Dale Steyn and Hashim Amla, there is a new vice-captain in batsman Temba Bavuma. Bavuma will also be part of a squad that will play in three Twenty20 internationals before the Test series.

He is one of three players in that squad who will be newcomers to the shortest form of the international game, joining left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and Nortje. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was named as the new captain of the T20 squad.

Test squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Temba Bavuma (vice-captain), Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second.

Twenty20 squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Rassie van der Dussen (vice-captain), Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts.