Former Proteas skipper AB de Villiers expressed his disappointment that India and South Africa played only two Tests in the World Test Championship Cycle (2023-25). The Proteas hosted India for only two Tests, which ended as 1-1 in Cape Town.
As a result of the conclusion in Cape Town, both the teams shared the prize in the highly contested contest. The series has been widely criticised for not including enough matches, with many suggesting that a third or decisive match would have benefited Test cricket.
In a video posted on his YouTube Channel, AB de Villiers discussed about the recently concluded two-match Test series. The former South African skipper understood the significance of Cricket South Africa’s goal to ensure the financial success of the SA20 league. However, he believes that specific steps are needed to protect Test cricket.
“I am not happy with the fact that there’s not a third Test. You have to blame the T20 cricket going around the world for that. I don’t know exactly whom to blame but I definitely sense something is wrong. If you want to see all the teams compete and see who is the best Test team in the world, something has to change,” AB de Villiers said
The two-match Test series between India and South Africa ended in a 1-1. The Men In Blue suffered an embarrassing defeat in the first game at SuperSport Park in Centurion. However, they rallied in the second game to draw the series against the host nations. In addition, India became the first Asian country to win a Test in Cape Town.
Cape Town Was A Pretty Stock-standard Wicket In My Opinion – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers said that pitch conditions in Cape Town didn’t surprise him and stated that it usually becomes easier to bat after carefully navigating the initial session and cited the example of England skipper Ben Stokes scoring a double hundred in Cape Town.
“It (Cape Town) was a pretty stock-standard wicket in my opinion. I remember jumping around there on Day 1. If you can just get through the first session on Day 1, it gets easier. If you see the players who were playing their shots and not hanging around, they were the ones doing well.”
The surface for India’s second Test against South Africa in Cape Town has come under fire after the game was completed in less than two days as it was the shortest Test in the game’s history. South African Aiden Markram’s spectacular century in Cape Town in 2nd innings but the uneven bounce from the pitch stunned batters from both sides.
