Johannesburg — Victor Mpitsang and his panel of selectors have a tricky task to find the right combination for the Proteas middle order ahead of the first Test against England.
Temba Bavuma’s absence through injury leaves a bigger hole than many imagine, and while the candidates for the No 4 and 5 spots all performed reasonably well in a tour match last week, none of them banged the door down and demanded inclusion.
Khaya Zondo made 86 in the first innings against the England Lions, Rassie van der Dussen 75, while Aiden Markram scored 88 not out in the second innings. Ryan Rickelton, who has been in hot form for Northamptonshire, made a first ball duck and spent an hour at the crease in the second innings to score 15.
The Proteas need solidity in that middle order, something Bavuma has been crucial in providing in the last two years. Over that period the Test vice-captain has averaged 47.93, and played vital knocks against India and Bangladesh.
While Van der Dussen’s form in his last five Tests hasn’t been stellar, it would be highly unlikely that Mpitsang’s panel — which includes coach Mark Boucher — will omit him from the starting XI on Wednesday. The 33-year-old averaged 23.77, almost nine runs fewer than his overall Test average and his highest score of 45 came in the last Test against New Zealand in February.
It’s not that Van der Dussen isn’t aware of his limited output with the bat.
“I’ve played 15 Tests and I don’t have a hundred,” Van der Dussen said in an interview with Independent Media before the tour. “I don’t think you can consider yourself a good Test batter if you don’t score hundreds. That is something that, obviously, I need to convert. (Useful) contributions don’t really cut it any more, I need to put in match-winning performances. When you start (your career) you can feel your way into it, but I’m at a stage now where I need to perform.”
Zondo’s innings in Canterbury was timely, and comes on the back of a couple of good domestic seasons for the Dolphins. Zondo was the second highest run-scorer for the Dolphins - behind Keegan Petersen - but it’s worth noting that 203 of his 368 runs last summer came in one innings. The season before last, he averaged 38.83, making two centuries.
The selectors will have to weigh last week’s innings and two good domestic seasons against Rickelton’s last two years for the Lions, and his recent run of form for Northamptonshire, where he scored 539 runs in eight innings making two hundreds. Captain Dean Elgar spoke strongly in favour of the 26-year-old left hander, saying he felt Rickelton had taken his opportunity when Van der Dussen and Markram chose the IPL over the Bangladesh Test series in April.
Markram made a big impact with the ball in Canterbury, taking 6/91, but it’s with the bat that he has struggled at Test level in the last few years. His last Test hundred was against Pakistan in February 2021 and his last Test fifty came in his next innings, against the West Indies four months later. He averages 12.75 since and would most likely have been dropped had he not chosen to head to India ahead of the Bangladesh series.
Markram, who has played predominantly as an opener, but had a stint at No 3 in New Zealand when Petersen missed that tour, batted at No 4 in both innings against the England Lions, and said his preparation before Wednesday would be based on playing in the middle order.
It is an intriguing position for the selectors because the options are available, it’s just there is not a dominant case for one over the other, although a Rickelton/Zondo combination at No 4 and 5 seems unlikely given the duo’s inexperience.
Then there are also the targets the team needs to achieve in order to comply with Cricket SA’s mandate with the sports department’s Eminent Persons Group that demands at least three Black African players in the starting eleven. With doubts about Kagiso Rabada’s fitness, it is an extra element the selectors need to factor in to their discussions.
SQUADS
South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt), Sarel Erwee, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Khaya Zondo, Glenton Stuurman
England: Ben Stokes (capt), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root
IOL Sport