8 Uncapped Players Named As South Africa Announce Squad For Tests vs New Zealand

16.01.2024 - 14:15 sports.ndtv.com

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday named uncapped batter Neil Brand as the skipper for the upcoming red-ball series against New Zealand while also adding seven more uncapped players, including opener Edward Moore to their squad for the red-ball tour next month.

The 30-year-old opener is the eighth uncapped player in the 15-member Proteas Test squad for the two-Test series against New Zealand.

Moore is a known name in the domestic circuit, having aggregated 7743 runs in 117 first-class matches for Western Province. He's been in scorching form this season, scoring 414 runs at 51.75 in the Division 1 CSA 4-Day Series.

Meanwhile, in another intriguing move, uncapped Neil Brand was picked to lead the Proteas in the red-ball series against New Zealand.

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After the completion of the India vs South Africa series on Thursday, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out skipper Rohit Sharma's mistakes while leading the visitors and said that once one loses a moment, then they lose the game. While speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said that the 36-year-old skipper made mistakes in both Tests. He added that it cost the visitors during the first Test match. "In Test cricket if you lose moments, you lose the game. Rohit made mistakes in both Tests and while it cost us massively in the first game, thankfully Siraj had given allowance for the second Test. Siraj bowling just one over when Markram was scoring and the lead swelled to 60 was a mistake," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Revisiting Viral Moment When Indian Cricket Team Star Complained Of Hole In Newlands Pitch During 2nd Test Against South Africa

The Newlands pitch has been in the headlines ever since the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa saw a whopping 23 wickets fall. As game resumed on the second day, India struck early, with Jasprit Bumrah sending back David Bedingham. However, not longer after the Proteas lost their 4th wicket of the second innings, play came to a brief halt as India pacer Mukesh Kumar complained of a hole in the pitch where his foot was landing while bowling. Though India captain Rohit Sharma downplayed the situation, hammers came out as the ground staff looked to resolve the matter.

Virat Kohli's Special Gift To Keshav Maharaj Gets Epic Caption From South Africa Star

Following the end of the second Test match between India and South Africa on Thursday at Newlands, Virat Kohli gifted his signed jersey to Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj. Keshav took to his official Instagram account and shared the picture of him receiving the former India skipper's 'number 18' jersey. "One for the Wall, Thank you @virat.kohli," the Proteas spinner wrote on Instagram while sharing the picture. On Thursday, Rohit Sharma and Kohli also gifted signed jerseys to Dean Elgar after he ended his international cricket career.

Watch: Major Injury Averted After Ball Hits Virat Kohli On The Face During Dramatic India vs South Africa Test

Fielding in the slips is never easy, with deliveries coming at pace after edging the blades of batters. On occasions, players fielding in the slips get hit on the body while attempting to catch or stop a ball. That is what happened with India star Virat Kohli in the second Test of the series against South Africa in Cape Town. The ball kissed the bat of Proteas batter David Bedingham's bat before awkwardly falling in front of Kohli. The India star tried to stop the ball but it bounced off his hand and hit him in the face.

Watch: Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill Dance On The Field As India Move Into Driving Seat In 2nd Test

The Indian camp remained in a jubilant mood despite the epic batting collapse that saw them going from 153/4 to 153 all-out on Day 1 of the second Test against South Africa. After bowling out the Proteas for just 55 runs in the first innings, India managed to bag 3 wickets for 62 runs by the time stumps were called. Soon after India got the third wicket in the second innings, the duo of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill were spotted dancing in the middle, celebrating the team's dominance.

"My Record Has Been Pretty Good": Dean Elgar On South Africa Pitch

Following a chaotic first day of the second Test between India and South Africa which saw a total of 23 wickets falling, South African skipper Dean Elgar refused to label the pitch as bad but said that it is challenging instead. Aiden Markram and David Bedingham took South Africa to 62/3 at Stumps on dramatic day one of the second Test match in Cape Town on Wednesday. At the time of stumps, South Africa's score read 62/3 - trail by 36 runs - with Markram (36) and Bedingham (7) unbeaten at the crease.