Keshav ‘will only get better’

SOUTH AFRICANS should not be surprised with the success Keshav Maharaj has achieved in New Zealand, says former Proteas left-arm spinner Robin Peterson.

Maharaj, bowled the Proteas to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory and a 1-0 series lead at the Basin Reserve on Saturday – a venue renowned for being inhospitable to spin bowlers – with careerbest figures of 6/40 in the Black Caps’ second innings.

It was the second week in a row that Maharaj had bamboozled the home side after claiming his maiden “five-for” in the first Test at Dunedin.

No SA spinner had done “the double’” – consecutive five-wicket hauls – since Paul Adams against Bangladesh in 2003. And neither has a Proteas spinner taken six wickets in a Test innings since Paul Harris did so against Australia at Newlands six years ago.

Having only played six Tests thus far, and still only 27, Peterson believes Maharaj has not even scratched the surface of his potential at Test level.

“I am so chuffed for Keshav,” said Peterson, who played 121 matches for the Proteas across all formats. “He’s a guy that’s played plenty of domestic cricket since he was about 20.

“Learnt his trade the hard way, toiled away in first-class cricket and is now ready to grasp his opportunities.

“He’s bowled well for the Dolphins, been successful for the South Africa A side on tours, and really done the hard yards.

“I am not surprised that he’s had success at international level and he will only get better the more he plays.”

Maharaj has been adept at the highest level since his Test debut against Australia at the Waca in November. Although he admitted his stomach was “rumbling like dishwasher” on the inside, there were no visible signs of nerves even though he was bowling to the world’s No 1 Test batsman Steve Smith.

For all of Maharaj’s ability though, Peterson believes it’s more the left-arm spinner’s mentality that sets him apart from a growing list of strong national spinning candidates.

“He’s a very good bowler, has a strong action, and understands his game,” Peterson explained.

“But he has a very strong mind too. That’s very important for a spinner in the South African Test side.

“Your role must be very adaptable. Often you are required to hold up an end and be very consistent in drying up the runs to allow the pace bowlers to rest.

“But you can’t also just be one-dimensional. You have to contribute with wickets too. And that takes a spinner with a strong mind to switch between roles and adapt accordingly. Keshav has shown that he can do that.”

In both ODI and T20 cricket, SA have their spin bases covered with the mercurial Imran Tahir being a proven match-winner. Tahir has achieved this level of success through his concoction of leg-spinners, top-spinners and his lethal googly.

Maharaj could not be a greater contrast. Besides the fact that he doesn’t run halfway to the boundary to celebrate a wicket, the left-arm spinner is content to focus on old-fashioned spin values of mastery of flight and the usage of the crease for his variations.

“Don’t be fooled by Keshav. He is a very tricky. He obviously doesn’t have a sexy googly like Immy or is even a big-turner of the ball. But like I said earlier, he understands his game and knows what works for him,” Peterson said.

“He used the wind superbly in Wellington. He plays with the crease too. He does the same with his lines. He bowled a little wider in the second Test. It is subtle variations that pick up wickets. He knows what he is trying to do with every delivery he bowls.”