New Delhi, July 27

South Africa will undertake their longest cricket tour of India later this year to contest all three formats over a nine-week period, the Indian board announced on Monday.

The tour, which comprises three Twenty20 matches, five one-day internationals and four Tests, will run between September 29 and December 7. It will be the first time South Africa will play a Twenty20 international on Indian soil in preparation for the World Twenty20 which will be held across India in March-April next year. South Africa have also never contested a four-Test series in India before, adding a new challenge for Hashim Amla’s top-ranked Proteas side.

The tour starts with the three T20 games from October 2 to 8, followed by the five one-dayers from October 11 to 25. The four Tests will be played in Mohali (November 5-9), Bangalore (November 14-18), Nagpur (November 25-29) and New Delhi December (3-7). The second match in Bangalore is expected to be South African batting star AB de Villiers’ 100th Test.