Tristan Stubbs earns maiden Test call-up for India series

Cricket South Africa (CSA) have named the 23-year-old dashing batter Tristan Stubbs in the 15-man squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against India. Not only that, the uncapped duo of Nandre Burger and David Bedingham too have been named in the squad for the red-ball clashes against India. 

Wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and pacer Lungi Ngidi return to the Test setup for the first time since being dropped earlier in the summer. Anrich Nortje has failed to recover in time for the series and will be out of it entirely, while Heinrich Klaasen’s white-ball heroics can’t save him a place in the Test setup. 

While not too shocking, South Africa’s ODI captain Temba Bavuma and premier pacer Kagiso Rabada will sit out of the entire white-ball series to focus on the red-ball clashes. In Bavuma’s absence, Aiden Markram is set to lead the team across the white-ball formats. 

On the T20 front, there is an opportunity for the likes of Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Donovan Ferriera and Ottniel Baartman to stake a claim for themselves ahead of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States of America next year. 

Two of the breakthrough stars of the World Cup, Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen, will only play the first two T20s before focusing on red-ball cricket. Bavuma, Rabada, Coetzee, Jansen and Ngidi will play in a round of domestic fixtures from December 14-17 to focus on the series against India. 

South Africa T20I squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee (1st and 2nd T20Is), Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen (1st and 2nd T20Is), Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi (1st and 2nd T20Is), Andile Phehlukwayo , Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, and Lizaad Williams

South Africa ODI squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Mihlali Mpongwana, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lizaad Williams

South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne