Keshav Maharaj, the premier spinner for South Africa, thinks that defeating India at their own stadium will be a formidable task and a perfect opportunity to evaluate their team. The World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 champions hope to break a 15-year streak by defeating India in an away Test series, which they haven’t done since 2010. The forthcoming tour, according to Maharaj, is one of their hardest and most important missions in recent memory.
The last time South Africa won a Test series in India was in 2010, when Proteas greats like Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis were playing. Following their recent WTC success, Maharaj stated his resolve to help his team make history and achieve another unforgettable away victory as the two-match Test series gets underway on November 14. South Africa has the confidence to overcome the odds and challenge the hosts in their own conditions, the left-arm spinner added in a forceful warning to India.
“It’s likely one of the most difficult tours, if not the most difficult, that Proteas has had over the years. Maharaj told the ICC, “There is a genuine hunger and desire within the camp to clearly beat India in India.”
Additionally, he discussed the pitch conditions that the Proteas anticipate in India, implying that they are getting ready for surfaces that are conducive to spin. Maharaj said the team has learnt a lot from the October West Indies Tests and is preparing their tactics appropriately to deal with the difficulties presented by Indian conditions.
We consider it to be one of our greatest tests as a team. It will be a fantastic chance for us to evaluate ourselves and see our progress. We began to subjugate other regions of the subcontinent gradually but steadily.
And we really, really want to take on this responsibility,” Maharaj remarked.
“Good wickets that get worse as the game progresses, in my opinion. I believe that if you watched a little of the West Indies series, you would see that India’s home match against the West Indies had good wickets that lasted nearly to days four and five,” he continued.
According to reports, the first Test at Eden Gardens is anticipated to have a seamer-friendly surface for at least the first three days, providing little help to spinners in the early going. This suggests that Maharaj’s assessment of the wickets appears to be accurate. But as the game goes on, spinners will probably be used in the second half since the pitch should deteriorate and give more turn.
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