South Africa and Bangladesh begin their two-match Test series in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on Tuesday. If the one-day series is anything to go by, we could be in for a treat if the weather plays along.
Date: Tuesday, July 21 – Saturday, July 25
Time: 9:30 a.m. local / 3:30 a.m. GMT
Venue: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Weather: The weather news is not good. Rain is a possibility on almost every single day of the Test. The one-off Test against India was dominated by rain, and if the forecast is correct, we could be in for more of the same for this match.
Overview
It’s been six months since South Africa put on their Test-match whites. To say they might be a little bit rusty would be an understatement.
Sure, their players have busied themselves with the Indian Premier League and a few have just had a Twenty20 and one-day series against Bangladesh, but Test match intensity is something completely different.
A good few of South Africa’s players have not played any cricket since the domestic season ended, and with no warm-up game to prepare them for the series against Bangladesh, a stuttering engine as they get going won’t be a surprise at all.
Bangladesh, in contrast, have recently played two Tests against Pakistan and one against India. Although they lost the series against Pakistan and the weather had the majority say when they played India, at least their players have had some practice. It certainly makes for an interesting narrative leading into the first Test.
Not only are South Africa out of practice, but they will also have a team that looks a bit different than usual. AB de Villiers will not be present, as he is away on paternity leave; the vacant opening spot left by the retired Alviro Petersen also needs to be filled.
Stiaan van Zyl, the Cobras player who made his Test debut against the West Indies, is the player who was earmarked for the position when Petersen called it a day. Asked to be moved up the batting order by his franchise and batting in the opening slot when South Africa A took on the England Lions earlier this year, all signs pointed to Van Zyl being handed the role.
However, South Africa threw a spanner into the works by including Reeza Hendricks in the squad. Hendricks is another player who has been molded to fit an opening role when he switched positions for his franchise a few years ago. His stats aren’t as good as Van Zyl’s, but he has more experience in the role.
Whoever makes the cut will have their work cut out for them to make their mark against Bangladesh, with tough tours of India and England on home soil during the South African summer to come.
But the opening slot is not the only one that needs filling. With De Villiers out of action, his position, too, needs to be filled. If Hendricks opens, it’s likely to be a toss-up between Van Zyl and the diminutive Temba Bavuma, who also debuted for South Africa over the summer.
Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander will return to bolster the bowling attack, while Simon Harmer is likely to partner with JP Duminy to get through the overs with their crafty spin.
Away from the selection headaches, South Africa simply have to worry about the senior batsmen finding some form. The top order contingent had a haphazard outing in the one-day series and will need to do much better in the Test series to help South Africa secure a positive result.
The good news is that even in the unlikely event that South Africa lose 2-0 to Bangladesh (the hosts have never beaten or even drawn against South Africa), they will remain at the top of the Test rankings, regardless of what happens in the ongoing Ashes series in England. But staying number one means winning in all conditions, despite the myriad of factors that influence Tests.
For South Africa, a team who prides themselves on their performances in the longest format of the game, this is a possibly prickly challenge.
Key players
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal was Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in the Test series against Pakistan. Of his 277 runs at an average of 69.25, 206 runs came in one knock, though. He is one of the most experienced players in the lineup, and with Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander on the prowl, seeing off the new ball will be crucial.
South Africa
Hashim Amla struggled in the one-day series, but the South African captain rarely goes too long without a big knock. Test cricket is where he thrives, and he will need to lead from the front to help the new players settle in.
Squads
Bangladesh: Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Shahid, Jubair Hossain, Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan
South Africa: Stiaan van Zyl, Morne Morkel, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Jean-Paul Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Dane Vilas, Dale Steyn, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Reeza Hendricks, Simon Harmer, Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Faf du Plessis
