Faf Du Plessis named South Africa Test captain

Du Plessis takes over from AB de Villiers, who retired from international cricket in May

South Africa have named Faf du Plessis as their new Test captain, replacing AB de Villiers who retired from international cricket in May.

Du Plessis, 33, has been vice-captain of the Test team since 2016 and has led the side in De Villiers' absence on several occasions.

He has a strong record as captain, having led South Africa to a 3-0 series win over Australia in 2016-17 and a 2-1 series win over India in 2017-18.

Du Plessis is a highly experienced batsman, having played 67 Tests for South Africa, scoring 4,163 runs at an average of 40.03.

He is also a handy bowler, having taken 135 wickets in first-class cricket.

Du Plessis' first assignment as Test captain will be the three-match series against India, which starts in Visakhapatnam on October 2.

He will be hoping to lead South Africa to a series win and to continue the team's recent good form in Test cricket.