Even before a ball is bowled at Kingsmead, the Proteas will be facing an uphill battle as they look to shake off some rust and deal with a few difficult external factors.
The Proteas have dropped to seventh in the Test rankings. They were top of the pile before facing England and India last year, two series that they lost. Not to mention an eight-month hiatus from the longest format.
On top of that, their opposition, New Zealand, has been heading the other way in terms of their Test performances.
Simple wins against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka before this two-match series have seen their new captain, Kane Williamson, blossom into a world-class batsman, as his team gels nicely.
Despite the Proteas’ lack of Test match cricket, they will also have to deal with the unprecedented conditions of Durban in August.
These late winter conditions will be new for the home team, but as seemingly is always the case, there are the familiar rain clouds around the city when the Proteas are in town.
While Williamson continues to grow his profile as a classy Test captain, the Proteas will be without theirs. AB de Villiers is missing through injury, and is a blow in terms of leadership and his phenomenal batting capabilities.
Morne Morkel is also injured. However, his blow is softened by the return of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander from long-term injury concerns.
Stand-in captain Faf du Plessis will have at his disposal one of the world’s most promising up-and-coming seam bowlers: Kagiso Rabada.
The word from the camp and opening batsman Dean Elgar is ‘adaptability’. With so many potential speed bumps in the road, the Proteas will need to hit the road running, and cannot afford to get stuck.
“The biggest thing for us is to try to adapt as soon as possible,” Elgar said.
“The wicket in the middle might be playing completely different from what we have experienced in the nets.
“We are experienced enough cricketers to adapt, adjust and to get used to the pace of play again. The facilities have been good, we have had four days before the Test so we will have a decent amount of preparation going into it.”
Despite concerns about the strip in the middle, the winter Test has caused havoc on the outfield and Kingsmead is looking altogether quite shabby. Special grass was relaid to accommodate this Test, however, with the recent heavy rains and floods in the province, much of the new grass was washed away, leaving large bare spots.
It is not too often that a South African Test team is considered the underdog, especially at home, but as factors mount against them, it may well be the reinvigorated Kiwis who are tipped to win this one first up. The match starts at 10am tomorrow. – Daily News