Cape Town - While Dean Elgar is set to walk out to the middle with Stephen Cook in the first Test against Australia at the Waca next month, don’t entirely rule out the exciting possibility of Quinton de Kock opening the batting for the Proteas Down Under.
He has played in just 10 Tests for South Africa, but De Kock is already proving to be one of the key figures in a Proteas side that began their revival in the longer format of the game with a 1-0 series win over New Zealand in August.
On Sunday, they will set sail for Australia ahead of a three-Test trip that starts on November 3 in Perth, and continues in Hobart and Adelaide, with an overall victory vital to their cause of moving up the ICC Test rankings, where they are currently fifth behind India, Pakistan, Australia and England.
To achieve that, South Africa are looking to “take the game away from opponents”, according to selection convenor Linda Zondi, by playing a positive brand of cricket.
And, it doesn’t come more positive than De Kock. Having already become a world star in ODI cricket, the dashing left-hander has been a revelation in the five-day game as well. In 15 innings, he’s scored 572 runs at an average of 47.66, with one hundred and four half-centuries.
But almost as important is the fact that he bats at a strike-rate of 71.05, so he scores his runs quickly. That’s mainly happened at No 6 or 7 in the order, but his latest match resulted in a new dynamic coming into play - opening the batting in Test cricket.
When Elgar was a late withdrawal for the second Test against New Zealand, Stiaan van Zyl was brought into the middle-order, with De Kock putting his hand up to face the new ball with Cook.
And what a discovery wasn’t it for coach Russell Domingo - his wicket-keeper struck a sensational 82 off 114 balls (15x4) in a 133-run partnership with Cook in the first innings, and the 23-year-old followed it up with another decisive knock of 50 in 43 deliveries (8x4, 1x6) in the second-innings chase for quick runs to set a target for the Black Caps.
De Kock has proven himself at the top of the order in limited-overs cricket, and he could fulfil a similar role as Australian master-blaster David Warner in white clothing as well.
“He was brilliant, but remember with that plan, it is very hard for a wicket-keeper to open. If it needs be, then there is an opportunity (for De Kock to open), yes - if the game situation or conditions demand it,” Zondi told Independent Media this week.
“But at the moment, we are going with the guys we’ve got there. For a keeper to open, the batting might be challenging, but at least it gives us an option - it is an option and we are quite excited about that.”
While the Proteas wrapped up an historic 5-0 ODI series win over Australia at Newlands on Wednesday, the big series of the summer is most definitely the three Tests Down Under.
And apart from De Kock, Zondi explained that another attacking left-handed batsman in Rilee Rossouw was chosen ahead of Van Zyl due to his ability to change the game.
Elgar and Cook are old-school Test openers who see off the new ball, but as Zondi says, if a “situation demands it” - perhaps if the Proteas need quick runs to set a target or have to get back into the series - one of the regular openers may have to make way for Rossouw in the middle-order, with De Kock going to the top.
“We have given Stiaan van Zyl an opportunity, and Rilee is a dynamic player who can bat in the middle and take the game away from any opponent. We need that kind of player and we feel that he has form at the moment, even though he gets injured. You can just see that he is quality, in terms of potential and being someone who can take a game away,” Zondi said.
“We want to win these two series against Australia and Sri Lanka to move up the ICC rankings, that is our goal.
“It’s important that we have the right skill to take the game away from opponents, and we need to utilise that. We have to take 20 wickets and score enough runs, so we are looking for those players and you can see that in the squad we’ve picked. We want to be at the forefront of that and set the standard instead of waiting or following other nations.”
Proteas Test squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Morné Morkel, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Dane Vilas.
Proteas Tour Fixtures (All SA Times)
October 22-23: Two-day tour match, Adelaide Oval (5.30am, pink ball)
October 27-28: Two-day tour match, Gliderol Stadium, Adelaide (1.30am)
November 3-7: First Test, Waca, Perth (4.30am)
November 12-16: Second Test, Hobart (1.30am)
November 19-20: Two-day tour match, Melbourne (5am, pink ball)
November 24-28: Third Test, Adelaide Oval (5.30am, pink ball)