India vs. South Africa, 4th Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

India have already won the four-match Test series, but South Africa will have a point to prove in the final Test.

Date: Thursday, Dec. 3 - Monday, Dec. 7

Start time: 9:30 am local time/ 4 a.m GMT

Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Live stream and TV info: Star Sports (India and Bangladesh), SuperSport (South Africa), PTV Sports (Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates)

Weather: According to AccuWeather.com, there is no chance of rain during the five days and it's going to be quite pleasant. It's winter time in India, but it will still get up to 26 degrees Celsius. 

Overview 

All eyes will be on the pitch in this fourth and final Test. It’s been the talk of the tour and the Nagpur wicket, where the third Test was played, has officially been deemed “poor” by the match referee.

India have pushed the concept of “home advantage” as far as they possibly can on this tour, and it will be interesting to see what the final pitch has to offer.

Even with conditions being this extreme, though, it should not excuse some of South Africa’s failings. It’s been a brutal Test series for Hashim Amla and his men, but the application from the visiting batsmen has been poor in parts.

While a win in the final Test will be nothing more than a consolation, it would be a welcome boost ahead of a tough summer for South Africa, with a lengthy series against England ahead.

South Africa also have to make some tough selection calls. Dale Steyn has struggled with injury throughout this tour and, even if he is fit, South Africa have to think whether it is worth risking him, considering what lies ahead. Dane Vilas, the wicketkeeper, has had a nightmare tour. The Proteas might considering dropping him, asking AB de Villiers to keep and bringing in Temba Bavuma as an extra batsman.

Stiaan van Zyl, the opener, has had a torrid time, too, but there are no other openers in the squad so he might very well be offered one last chance to prove himself.

There have been just four fifties on this tour and the batsmen from both teams will probably be hoping the Test can go beyond three days.

Key players

India

Ravichandran Ashwin has been the main beneficiary of these spin-friendly pitches, having picked up 24 wickets at an average of just 10.75. South Africa's uncertainty against spin has helped, too, and if they haven’t figured him out by now, Ashwin could have another field day.

South Africa

Hashim Amla gritted it out in the second innings of the third Test after a tough time out in the middle in the previous two Tests. The captain called it “the toughest three days of his Test career,” but he will take heart from how long he managed to survive in such tricky conditions. If the South African captain bats at three, he will be the rock of the innings.

Squads

India: Ravindra Jadeja, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav

South Africa: Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Jean-Paul Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Simon Harmer, Dane Piedt, Dane Vilas, Kyle Abbott, Stiaan van Zyl, Marchant de Lange

All information obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.