The experiment with Prince opening lasted until the first match of South Africa's Test series against India in February 2010. For the second Test he returned to the middle order and Alviro Petersen partnered Smith at the top of the order. In six Tests as an opener, Prince average 27.44 runs per innings. In 2010, Lancashire signed Kumar Sangakkara who was unavailable due to international commitments until May. Due to his performance in 2009, Prince was signed as cover. After a run of low scores, Prince was dropped from South Africa's Test team at the start of 2012, and was replaced by Alviro Petersen for the third Test of South Africa's home series against Sri Lanka. When Cricket South Africa announced its central contracts in February 2012, Prince was included on the list and the convenor of selectors said that although Prince had been dropped from the Test side in January, he still remained part of the team's plan.