Tour of India 2007-08        Captain: Graeme Smith

43rd official Test tour

Fourth Test-playing tour of India by South Africa

(March - April 2008)

There were six players of colour among the 14, in line with Cricket South Africa's transformation policy of having seven in a touring squad of 15 or more players.

Charl Langeveldt gave up his tour place because he believed Andre Nel's record merited a place in the team above him. "I don't want to be put there because of my colour,"  he said, and withdrew. He was included in the ODI side to Bangladesh but shortly afterwards became a kolpak player in English county cricket.

This was the only tour to have three Test matches and no side matches or one-dayers at all, apart from Australia’s visit to India in 1956. The reason was that originally it was part of the larger tour to Bangladesh so warm-up matches had not been arranged.

Other South African tours

Previous Tour

Bangladesh 2007-08

Next tour

England 2008

Next tour of India

2009-10

Members of the Test tour party (14)

Opening batsmen:  Graeme Smith, Neil McKenzie

Middle-order batsmen:   Jacques Kallis, A B de Villiers, Hashim Amla, J P Duminy, Ashwell Prince

Wicket-keepers:   Mark Boucher

Slow bowlers:  Paul Harris, Robin Peterson

Fast bowlers: Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Monte Zondeki

Representation of Supersport Series teams:   

CC(Bo, WP) - Cape Cobras (6)

D  (KZN) - Dolphins (1)

E  (FS, GW) - Eagles (0)

HL(G, NW) - Highveld Lions (1)

T(Es, No) - Titans (4)

W(EP, Br) - Warriors (2)

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(26 March 2008) :

       27  yrs 1 months

Test Appearances made before the tour

Kallis 116,  Boucher 111,  Ntini 84,  Smith 63,  McKenzie 44,  Prince 38,  de Villiers 37,  Amla 22,  Steyn 20,  Harris 10,  Peterson 6,  Zondeki 5,  Morkel 3,  Duminy 0.

Team Officials

Selectors

Joubert Strydom (convenor of selectors),  Mustapha Khan and Shafiek Abrahams

Mickey Arthur (coach) was no longer a member of the national selection panel.

Selection

Unavailable:

Tour Party Announced :  10 March 2008.

The team was announced while the South Africans were still in Bangladesh.

Not selected :  Johan Botha,  Andre Nel

Withdrawal :  Charl Langeveldt - he was replaced by Monde Zondeki.

Time between selection and departure from South Africa

  x days

(10 March to depart in Saf)

Travel

The South Africans originally planned to travel directly from Bangladesh to India and play a practice match against India A.  Mickey Arthur said that coming home allowed the team to be refreshed and re-energised.

The team flew out from Johannesburg on March 21 and arrived in Chennai next day.

The14th member of the squad, left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, did not arrive until Wednesday 26 March as his partner gave birth to their first child.

Time spent in India

   x days

(22 March - depart Host)

On-tour selection panel

Reinforcements

Fixtures/Results

† not first-class

Time spent in India before First Test:   4 days

(22 March - 26 March)

Test appearances on tour

3  -  Amla, Boucher, de Villiers, Harris, Kallis, McKenzie, Morkel, Ntini, Prince, Smith, Steyn.

0 -   Duminy, Petersen, Zondeki.

Highlights

• Amla's 159 was at the heart of South Africa's 540 in the first innings of the series.

• McKenzie (94 and 155 not out) in the first Test at Chennai cemented his place at the top of the order

• Steyn (5-23), Ntini (3-18) and Morkel (2-20) routed India for a total of 76 in the second Test.

• de Villiers followed up their bowling performance with an undefeated double century (217 not out).

Tour Summary

Return to South Africa

Time away from South Africa    x days  

(depart SAf to arrive home in S AfI)

Finances