Even though South Africa’s much-anticipated return to Test cricket fizzled out into a rather damp squib this past week in Durban, Proteas convener of selectors Linda Zondi remains ‘very excited’ about the direction the team is heading in.
The previous Test season had proved a tough initiation for Zondi with him and his panel encountering numerous stumbling blocks along the way in a bid to put together a Test squad that was seemingly in free fall.
The major hurdle was, of course, the injuries to key players such as Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander that bereft the Proteas of experience, and significantly, their high skill levels upfront with the new ball.
But with Steyn claiming two New Zealand wickets in an impressive six-over burst and Philander also hitting consistently good areas during the same period, Zondi believes the Proteas are on track heading into the series-decider at Centurion starting on Saturday.
“I think from our side there are plenty of positives to take from Kingsmead,” Zondi said on Wednesday. “A couple of guys were coming back from a long break and the way they responded is a really good sign. It was only for a few overs, but Dale Steyn really looked back to his best while Vernon also looked good.
“Every wicket Dale takes is just a boost to his confidence and helping him get back to where we all know he can be. I’m very excited about the future and where this team is heading, especially if you think of our bench strength and the fact that a guy like Morne Morkel is also still on the sidelines through injury and itching to come back into the mix.”
Zondi was not overly concerned with the top-order’s inability to construct a meaningful innings once well set.
“Obviously most of the batsmen got out of the blocks but did not convert and that is not the ideal situation. You are always looking for a couple of batsmen to take on the responsibility of getting that big score that sets up the Test match, but I still think there are plenty of positives to take from that innings. There were senior guys who faced a lot of balls, they might not have made many runs, but time at the crease is important at this early stage of the season,” Zondi explained.
With the first Test having being affected by a damp outfield, the upcoming Centurion clash is expected to be a stark contrast in terms of the conditions expected. The wicket is unlikely to be as seamer friendly, which will make it more conducive to positive strokeplay.
This could influence selection in terms of the Proteas possibly abandoning their seven frontline batsmen strategy, in favour of the extra bowling all-rounder with both Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell in the 15-man squad. Zondi, though, remained poker-faced, saying the call will only be made closer to the start of the Test.
“We’re fortunate that we have plenty of options within the squad, but it’s all dependent on the conditions we encounter. If we want to play the all-rounders there are options in that department. We played the spinner in the last Test and could again, equally we have the extra seamer in Kyle Abbott too, so it’s great that there are all these options. We will look at the conditions once the team gathers in Centurion and decide accordingly,” Zondi said. - Cape Times