Selection headache for Proteas
It’s almost guaranteed that the pitch for tomorrow’s ODI will take spin, but should South Africa tinker with a winning combination?
WHAT to do in Dambulla when you’re 1-0 up in a series and been given the day off ?
Yesterday would have been the first genuinely relaxing day for the players on what has largely been a troublesome tour of Sri Lanka. The Proteas were embarrassed in the two Test matches, but soothed their pain with a comprehensive win in the opening ODI at the Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday.
Not only did the win come as a relief but there were several individual performances from which those players could draw confidence in terms of the immediate goal of pursuing a series win, and also as a foundation ahead of a cru- cial season in which they will want to establish (or in some cases re-establish) their credentials ahead of the World Cup.
The players have been honest about taking advantage of conditions with which they were more familiar in the first match with a pitch something more to their liking than had been the case at any other stage previously on the tour.
Sri Lanka are almost certain to ensure that similar conditions won’t be replicated in tomorrow’s second match, a day/night affair at the same venue.
“We talked about what South Africa’s strengths were, and their strength is in the first eight to 10 overs – we have to get through that period,” said the home team’s batting coach Thilan Samaraweera. “After that, they have a very inexperienced bowling attack.” Indeed, that was something the two Pereras, Thilan and Kusal proved with their 92-run partnership for the sixth wicket off just 55 balls. Seam bowling all-rounders Wiaan Mulder and Andile Phehlukwayo bowled poorly after the excellent start provided by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.
They will be desperate to atone for their errors with the ball but it will be interesting to see if they get that opportunity tomorrow.
While it may be deemed prudent by the selectors to not attempt to fix something if it ain’t broke, they should heed lessons from the mistake made before the second Test in Colombo last week.
On that occasion they picked just one frontline spinner in conditions which were totally tilted in the favour of spin, leaving poor Keshav Maharaj (pictured) to bowl more than 80 overs in just twoand-a-half days. Sri Lanka went in with three spinners, and if the hosts do leave the pitch to dry out in Dambulla they are likely to do the same for their starting team tomorrow.
In those circumstances the Proteas will need to give serious consideration to playing the extra spinner – in this case Maharaj – which should mean that one of Phehlukwayo or Mulder sits out.
Of course with the World Cup in mind and given the composition of the starting team that Ottis Gibson would prefer for matches in English conditions next June – with two seam bowling all-rounders to start – playing an extra spinner would not fit.
However it may also be worth Gibson’s while to assess a structure with two frontline spinners in case South Africa have to confront dry conditions in England.
There is also a case to be made for building on the confidence of the side’s first win on this tour and looking to put the hosts under pressure, by picking a side best able to take advantage of conditions.