“We watched with a bit of jealousy” - Temba Bavuma wants India vs South Africa to be a four-match Test series instead of a two-match series

South African Test captain, Temba Bavuma, who led his side to the ICC World Test Championship title victory over Australia earlier this year, has asserted that a two-match Test series against India doesn’t do justice to the two of the strongest red-ball sides.

Advertisment

Notably, while Australia and England are playing against each other in the five-match Test series as part of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 campaign, Bavuma watched with a bit of jealousy, hoping that South Africa would get to play India in a four-match series later in the future. 

“We woke up this morning to watch the Ashes. We watched with a bit of jealousy, knowing that they were playing five Tests. They will be going at each other,” Bavuma said at the pre-match press conference.

“Hopefully, not too far in the future, but more in the near future, we will go back to play four tests against India,” he added.

Earlier in 2022-23, India and South Africa locked horns in a two-match Test series during the former’s tour to South Africa, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Notably, India and South Africa are currently playing in the second and final Test of the two-match series in Guwahati.

It’s important to note that the length of a Test series depends on the board’s financial strength, which was the reason why the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy are five-match series because of the revenue outcome. 

However, India’s series against other countries like South Africa, New Zealand, and the West Indies are two-match Test series. Bavuma is well aware that cricketers have little influence over how these tours are scheduled. 

Advertisment

“Players aren’t involved when it comes to mapping out the schedule. I think every one of our players who has had the opportunity to interact with the media has had that question in front of them,” Bavuma concluded. 

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!