Seven Proteas from 2019 to get the chance to put things right against Sri Lanka
Glenton Stuurman may be the only player to debut while Wiaan Mulder could fulfill the all-rounder slot for the first Test.
Will Lions player Wiaan Mulder fulfill the all-rounder role in the Proteas team for the first Test against Sri Lanka, starting on Boxing Day? Picture: Getty Images
South Africa are desperate to put right their humiliating 2-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka the last time they toured, and seven of the players who were involved in that 2019 embarrassment look set to get the chance to start the series off on the right note at SuperSport Park in Centurion from Saturday.
After the entire 17-man squad who entered the bubble at Irene Country Club returned negative Covid tests on Tuesday, it is now apparent that the two members of the original Proteas squad who are positive for the virus are Beuran Hendricks and Keegan Petersen.
The unfortunate Dolphins batsman Petersen, who is averaging over 50 for his third successive domestic four-day campaign, was probably next in line in terms of the batting line-up, and may even have made his Test debut if South Africa decided to go with seven specialist batsmen.
Left-arm paceman Hendricks will consider himself equally unlucky as he took five for 64 against England the last time South Africa were in the field in a Test match and has taken 12 wickets at an average of 20 in three red-ball games for the Imperial Lions this season.
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Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock were all part of the batting line-up that failed to meet expectations against Sri Lanka in 2019 and are likely to play again in the first Test from Boxing Day, but Rassie van der Dussen, who has scored three half-centuries in his four Tests, looks the right fit at number three having scored a brilliantly-judged 98 against England in his last Test innings.
Proteas coach Mark Boucher showed his preference for having a genuine all-rounder in the No 7 position by playing Dwaine Pretorius in three of the four Tests against England, but the Lions stalwart has only just returned from a hamstring injury and Wiaan Mulder, who played one Test against Sri Lanka in 2019, has been in fine form with the bat for the same team.
The absence of Hendricks, who played in the last Test against England because Kagiso Rabada, now injured, was suspended for once again getting in the face of batsmen while celebrating their dismissal, opens the door for Warriors seamer Glenton Stuurman to make his Test debut.
Stuurman has taken 42 wickets in 12 matches for the Warriors but he is highly-rated by the Proteas management, who see him as being in the same mould as the recently-retired Vernon Philander. Stuurman certainly seems to have the same knack of bowling some incredible deliveries to get batsmen out and the only other pacemen in the squad who are competing to join Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi in the starting line-up are also uncapped players in Migael Pretorius and Lutho Sipamla.
Considering that South Africa have chosen a specialist spinner in their squad for their last five Tests at SuperSport Park, all of which they have won, it is likely left-armer Keshav Maharaj, another survivor of the 2019 Sri Lanka series, will play, not least of all because he is the team’s most experienced bowler.
Proteas squad: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Glenton Stuurman, Lungi Ngidi, Dwaine Pretorius, Migael Pretorius, Lutho Sipamla, Sarel Erwee, Raynard van Tonder, Kyle Verreynne.
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