Pietermaritzburg – Proteas coach Russell Domingo says he has little choice but to stick with the same group of players which drew 1-1 with Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates for the upcoming Test series against India.
“We hadn’t played a Test match before the UAE for about six months, so after just having two games there, it's very difficult to make too many changes,” Domingo said in Pietermaritzburg on Monday.
“The test side is pretty easy select – it's been performing well for a long period of time now, so I don’t think there's too many surprises or too many tough decisions to make for that group.”
Graeme Smith, currently in Cape Town preparing for the Tests after failing to be picked in the ongoing one-day series, will captain the team.
Spinners Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson have been chosen as well as two wicketkeepers in one-day captain AB de Villiers and Thami Tsolekile.
Domingo said it was unlikely any major alterations would be made to their starting XI for the first Test at the Wanderers on December 18.
“I'd like to think the side's been successful with the seven batter strategy and I'd probably like to continue that,” he said.
“It's still early in Test tenureship to want to make too many wholesale changes to what's worked really well over the last period of time, so as far as I'm concerned, I'd like to continue that way.”
The Proteas have already clinched the one-day series after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest.
Both matches saw resounding wins for Domingo's men, with the feature being their fast-bowling threat against the Indian batting line-up.
“We spoke at the beginning of the one-day series that we want to put doubt in their mind in terms of the way they play pace. They've always had issues playing pace in South Africa and that's what their history shows,” Domingo said.
“It's a South African strength, it's the way we're brought up playing cricket, it's in our DNA. So it's an important aspect for us having a four-pronged pace attack against India in our conditions.
“I don’t know what's going on in their minds, but our seamers have bowled we'll hope to continue that way.”
South Africa Test squad: Graeme Smith (captain), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile. – Sapa