Johannesburg — What an interesting time for New Zealand and South Africa’s cricket sides to be meeting in a Test series.
It is a pity the schedule doesn’t allow for an extra match, because these two teams are both at intriguing points on their respective journeys.
South Africa’s performances in the West Indies, in the T20 World Cup and of course at home to India, reflect a team on an upward curve. New Zealand made the final of the T20 World Cup, but as a Test side they’re showing signs that perhaps, their best days are in the past.
Dean Elgar was being kind when he said the following on Thursday: “It’s a great test for us to match ourselves and compare ourselves to a team that is playing at their peak at the moment.”
Maybe the Proteas captain didn’t want to give the hosts any kind of motivation to stick up in their dressing room. New Zealand is on the other side of its peak.
The peak came in a 14-month period starting in February 2020 when they defeated India in Wellington, and then went a further eight Tests without defeat, including home series wins against West Indies and Pakistan and an away series triumph in England.
In four Tests since winning the World Test Championship against India in Southampton last June, they’ve lost two including an historic home defeat to Bangladesh last month stole a draw with nine wickets down in the last innings against India in Kanpur and won once.
There is no clear favourite for this series, although New Zealand’s home record since losing to South Africa in 2017, will engender confidence for the hosts. The gap between the Proteas and the Black Caps is not as large as the one that seemed to exist between India and South Africa ahead of that Test series earlier this summer.
Had New Zealand faced that version of the Proteas predicting the outcome of the series would have been easier. With the Proteas now confident, and with the likes of Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada and the rookie Marco Jansen in form, it’s a very different proposition.
The New Zealand team which qualified for and then won the World Test Championship final is undergoing a transition. First there was Ross Taylor’s retirement, which came in the series against Bangladesh.
Then there’s Kane Williamson’s absence because of an elbow injury, which New Zealand at one stage hoped they could manage during the two Tests, but then eventually decided to take a longer-term approach with. Trent Boult is also missing from the first Test because of the impending birth of his third child.
So the Kiwis have Hamish Rutherford back in their squad seven years after he played his last Test, Cam Fletcher, a wicketkeeper/batter gets a first call-up, as does medium pacer Blair Tickner.
Skipper Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and the lanky all-rounder Kyle Jamieson remain from the unit that played in that peak period, and will be motivated to be part of the first New Zealand side to win a Test series against South Africa.
However the Proteas are fresh off dealing with a side that was also chasing history. Their major concern ahead of the first Test is getting accustomed to conditions and also dealing with Keegan Petersen’s absence.
Elgar, like many others, was keen to see how Petersen would manage the next step after his starring role against India, but with Covid making travelling to New Zealand impossible for him, the door has opened for Sarel Erwee Elgar’s preferred choice to take over the no.3 spot.
Elgar mentioned a ‘pecking order’ in explaining his preference for Erwee, seemingly eliminating form, because if that was the criteria, the Lions’ Ryan Rickelton would have to be in the equation.
The 25 year old left-hander is arguably the most in-form batter on the domestic scene. Rickelton has made three centuries in the Four-Day series two of those while batting at no.3 and averages 118.25 in the competition.
Whoever gets that spot will hope that they get an easier ride than Petersen has had. For most of his brief Test career, Petersen’s been coming in by the third over of the innings. Elgar and particularly Aiden Markram need to get back to providing substantial partnerships at the top of the order again.
It won’t be easy against New Zealand, on a track at Hagley Oval that is usually very helpful for the seamers, but does get flat and give batters opportunities to go big.
Markram’s last hundred came a year ago in Pakistan and since then he’s passed 50 just once in nine innings. As is customary, the coaching staff are pleased with the work Markram’s put in at training, but at some point soon that work has to be transferred into a match. Markram might be playing for his place ahead of the home series against Bangladesh.
There are a number of intriguing battles in the offing. Southee against the Proteas openers, Wagner against everyone, Rabada vs Latham and Conway and Jamieson and Jansen will have a contest of the long-limbed all-rounders.
The two-match series will tell us more about South Africa’s development and also if New Zealand’s decline from the peak is accelerating or if the Southee, Wagner, Boult era still has more to offer.
SQUADS
New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt), Will Young, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Hamish Rutherford, Tom Blundell, Colin de Gradhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Cam Fletcher, Rachin Ravindra.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma, Sarel Erwee, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne.
Schedule (start 12 midnight SA time):
IOL Sport