After a disappointing World Cup campaign, South Africa will be eager to get back to the sport’s most extended format and begin their campaign in the inaugural World Test Championships. The Proteas are currently ranked third by ICC in the format but have only played three Test series over the past one year.

"For the last while we have longed to have something to play for that gives proper context to Test cricket. The stakes are high because every series matters. It's refreshing and the players we are looking forward to this new chapter of Test cricket,” Faf du Plessis said of the ICC’s most recent initiative.

The introduction of T20 and it’s wild popularity across the world has seen Tests lose traction over the years, with some fans preferring fast- paced cricket to the all-whites. However, the belief that Tests are the ultimate honour for a player remains intact and the format continues to be revered as the most challenging. 

“I feel Test cricket is in a healthy state. The players who play all three formats will attest to the fact that Test cricket is the purest format of the game and it is still the number one format. The younger generation may enjoy the hustle and bustle of T20 cricket but when a Test match goes down to the final hour on the fifth day, that entertainment is hard to beat,” du Plessis added.

South Africa will begin their campaign against India in October in a three-match series. The last time the two countries played in Tests, South Africa triumphed 2-1. However, when India last played the Proteas at home, they had recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory in a four-match test series in 2017. 

“We have a tough assignment to start with against India away. We beat them at home last season but playing against India in India is probably one of the toughest challenges for an international player,” du Plessis stated.

The series will be followed by a visit from England who play four matches. Over the course of the next two years, the team will play test series against six of the top 9 ranked test teams.

"We then have the current world champions England at home, this is always a cracker of a series during our summer and one that we look forward to. We probably have the toughest start but everyone will play everyone, so it doesn't really matter,” the skipper concluded.