India vs South Africa: Keshav Maharaj calls it ‘one of the toughest tours’

Dubai: ICC World Test Champions South Africa are gearing up for a tough assignment as they prepare to face India in a two-match Test series starting Friday.

Veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj has acknowledged the enormity of the challenge, describing the tour as “probably the toughest” on the Proteas’ calendar.

The reigning champions head into the series in good form, having claimed the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord’s earlier this year. They maintained their momentum by splitting a two-Test series against Pakistan last month, marking a solid start to the new WTC cycle. Now, their focus shifts to India — a destination that has long tested South African sides.

It has been over 15 years since South Africa last won a Test in India — a memorable victory in Nagpur in February 2010, achieved under the leadership of Graeme Smith and featuring greats such as Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, and Dale Steyn.

The current squad is determined to emulate those legendary teams, and Maharaj believes this group has what it takes to end the long drought.

“It’s probably one of the toughest tours, if not the toughest, on the Proteas calendar through various generations,” Maharaj said, as quoted by the ICC.

“There’s a real hunger and desire within the camp to beat India in India. As a unit, we feel it’s one of our biggest tests. It’ll be a great opportunity to see how far we’ve come — we’ve started to conquer other parts of the subcontinent, and this is one challenge we really want to take on.”

Maharaj was instrumental in South Africa’s recent success in Pakistan, where he took nine wickets and earned the Player of the Match award. Fellow spinner Senuran Muthusamy, named Player of the Series for his 11 wickets and 106 runs, will again play a key role, alongside Simon Harmer.

The 35-year-old expects conditions in India to offer something for all bowlers. “I think the wickets will be good initially and then deteriorate as the game goes on,” Maharaj noted.

“If you watched India’s recent series against the West Indies, the pitches lasted until day four or five. The narrative is changing — it’s about producing good cricket wickets that evolve over time.”

Maharaj emphasised South Africa’s preparation and teamwork as vital components of their success.

“We’ve been precise about our plans throughout this cycle and the previous one in the subcontinent. Partnerships — with both bat and ball — have been crucial for us, and we’ll continue to focus on our strengths as a collective,” he added.