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SOUTH Africa will play a four-day pink ball Test against neighbours Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth as the traditional Boxing Day fixture before India arrive for a tour in late December, Cricket South Africa has announced.

The day-night match has yet to be granted Test status by the International Cricket Council, but there are precedents for contests in the longest format of the game being played over three, four and six days as well as the usual five.

“To ensure we do not disappoint our loyal fans over the traditional Boxing Day period and to take advantage of our brand-new lights at St George’s Park, we will host Zimbabwe in the first ever four-day day-night Test match to be played,” Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat said in a news release.

“The extensive revamping of our international grounds is on schedule and the day-night Test match promises to be a world-class experience for the players and fans.”

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chief executive officer Faisal Hasnain has expressed his “delight” at being involved in the inaugural four-day, day-night Test against South Africa on Boxing Day.

“We are delighted to be part of this historic occasion and grateful to Cricket South Africa for awarding us this opportunity,” Hasnain told supersport.com.

The Zimbabwean national team has made enormous strides in recent months, which have included an ODI series win against Sri Lanka.

Former captain Brendan Taylor has rejoined the national team after a three-year contract with Nottinghamshire in the county championship and the nation’s cricketing star appears to be on the rise again after a decade of turmoil.

Hasnain says the four-day Test format is also one for the future.

“It’s a step in the right direction and is looking to the future. It allows teams to be more creative in trying to force a result in the time allowed. Captains will now have to consider very carefully when they should declare and batsmen will have to take into account the shorter time period and therefore the need to speed things up,” Hasnain said.

“Bowlers will also have to be more attacking to take 20 wickets in the shorter time period. I think it’s got some very positive aspects.”

CSA also announced the broad itinerary for the tour by India, who will play three Tests, six one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against their hosts.

The first Test in the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela series between the current top two in the world rankings will take place at Newlands in Cape Town starting on January 5, 2018, with the dates and venues for the other matches to be confirmed.

“The time constraints faced by India have forced us to reduce the Test matches to three, while increasing white ball cricket to six ODIs and three T20I matches,” Lorgat added.

India will arrive in South Africa on December 28 and play a two-day warm-up match at Boland Park in Paarl on the last two days of the year. — Reuters.