Proteas would be vulnerable without De Kock

Quinton de Kock will play in the final Test against New Zealand despite carrying a finger injury. Photo: Reuters/David Gray

Quinton de Kock will play in the final Test against New Zealand despite carrying a finger injury. Photo: Reuters/David Gray

Published Mar 24, 2017

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SOUTH AFRICA will risk playing Quinton de Kock, tender finger and all, in the third and final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, on the stroke of midnight on Friday.

By all accounts, it is a risk, and the Proteas will be crossing everything that he gets through the next few days unscathed. It is writ that he must rest beyond the series, so he will miss out on the lucrative, annual jaunt to the IPL.

De Kock is a pivotal member of the South African team, and that point has been reiterated by the road they are taking with his index finger injury. He is certainly not 100% fit, but they are happy to have him at 80-90%, given the considerable skills he brings to the table.

"It's a big game. Quinton is someone who you don't just replace. From my side, I am trying to have Quinton in my team all the time," skipper Faf du Plessis resolved.

"He has had problems with his fingers for quite a while. It's part of being a keeper. It's never nice to catch balls on the fingertips all the time and it's been painful for him for a while. Maybe the cold New Zealand conditions make it worse. It's hurting for him a bit more now but, because it's a big game, resting him for someone else is not an option."

De Kock, one of the game’s leading lights – across all formats – is essentially a two-in-one player, and his value is enhanced by the brittle nature of half of the Proteas’ batting order at the moment. Take him out, and the cupboard suddenly looks vulnerable, even against a wounded foe.

For the Kiwis, there is no other option but to win, though that will be doubly difficult without the services Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Ross Taylor. It is akin to ripping Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander and Hashim Amla from the Proteas’ squad.

“It's very important we bounce back, show that fight and those characteristics that this team is about, which we failed to do in the latter half of our last game. We've got one big game left in the summer and the guys are excited by that and want to put on a good performance,” Kane Williamson said of his side’s plight.

Williamson has to put on a brave face, and his team must put up a united front. But the odds are stacked heavily against them. They are playing the most comfortable visitors in world cricket, .

“I don't think people appreciate and understand,” Faf du Plessis said of his team’s results on the road. It is a legacy that started long before him, and may well continue long beyond his years at the helm.

In a world of adverse results being increasingly explained away by unfamiliarity and discomfort, the Proteas have generally found a way to get things done. The personnel has changed, but the priority has always been the same.

“The record has been exceptional. Mentally we are very resilient. We know whatever the situation on the day, we have to find a way and try and make sure you deliver. You can never use an excuse, whether it's

green or spinning. You just have to get on and do the job. Our mental toughness has helped us,” Du Plessis emphasised to media, ahead of the final stop in Hamilton.

Likely teams:

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (capt), Neil Broom, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Jeetan Patel, Matt Henry Neil Wagner

South Africa: Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (capt), JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada.

Play in Hamilton starts at midnight (SA time), with coverage on Supersport 2 from 11:30pm.

Independent Media

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