Cricket South Africa and India have finally agreed on an itinerary for the 2017/18 summer, with three Test matches to be played between the two nations.
India arrive in South Africa on December 28 and have insisted on a warm-up fixture before embarking on the Freedom Trophy.
That means there will be no Boxing Day Test between the two nations and tellingly, also no traditional New Year’s Test, with the traditional Newlands Test only starting on Friday, January 5.
“It was quite a difficult process because understandably, India is sought after and they have got numerous commitments on the international circuit, and their players are quite stretched,” Cricket SA CEO Haroon Lorgat explained.
“In the end we had to compromise to some extent to make the tour itinerary work. But we are happy because we have managed to secure the first ever day-night Test match (in South Africa),” he added.
That four-day match, at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, will be against Zimbabwe, and CSA are hopeful the International Cricket Council will ratify the historic occasion and hand it Test status.
The Boxing Day fixture has struggled to gather much fanfare over the past decade and the hope appears to be based around the novelty of Test cricket under lights.
The opposition, of course, is not the biggest drawcard, but there were slim pickings for South African cricket at the 11th hour.
The India series, which will see the top two Test nations lock horns, will now be three matches, followed by six one-day internationals and three T20 internationals.
Should the Zimbabwe match be rubber-stamped as an official Test, the summer will comprise of 10 Test matches, which will be South Africa’s biggest international season at home.
They kick off against Bangladesh, before the Boxing Day affair and the India series, and Australia arrive in February to close off a hectic schedule.
The full details of the India tour are still to be finalised.