No end to Smith, Kohli spat
the first New Zealander to win a Test series against South Africa in 16 attempts, but South Africa aren’t taking anything for granted.
“Boulty is a fantastic bowler and a huge loss for them but Matt Henry and Tim Southee, who didn’t play last week, are also quality replacements so they have enough resources there to step in and cover for Trent. But if we lost two players of that quality, we would feel very light and everybody else would need to pull extra weight to make up for them,” Du Plessis said.
“Before the series started, we said that getting Kane and Ross reasonably quickly would be the key to us winning — we didn’t get Kane in Dunedin. He scored a hundred and the rest of the batting unit stuck with him. So he is the key once again.”
Also key will be the conditions — and not just the pitch, which was more than a little underprepared after six days under covers because of relentless rain and drizzle before the sun finally appeared on Wednesday. Wellington endures more than 170 days of gale-force winds in an average year, and more pumping southerlies are forecast.
“It is a huge challenge for us, for all touring teams. We have PE [Port Elizabeth ground St George’s Park] and maybe Cape Town sometimes, but they don’t feel anything like this! Bowling into the wind here is a big ask for the seamers. Even as a batsman the wind can affect your balance, you can easily be pushed over by it. It’s the same for both sides, but they are more used to it,” Du Plessis said.
Fortunately, he believes he has the bowling attack to cope — even if his solitary spinner, Keshav Maharaj, can’t bowl into the wind all day.
“KG [Kagiso Rabada] can be used from either end; he’s not scared by the challenge. Vern [Philander] doesn’t always need the wind, so he’s happy to run into it and give us the control we need and even Morné [Morkel] — he’s done the donkey work for South Africa for years, so all three seamers are happy to take their turn. But the spinner is always first choice to do it,” Du Plessis said.
The poor batting form of Quinton de Kock has been a constant source of solace to New Zealand supporters and speculation in the media — such was the enormity of the perceived threat he posed. The fact that offspinner Jeetan Patel has claimed his wicket almost immediately in the past four innings on tour means, surely, that there is a “problem” brewing. Doesn’t it?
“One of Quinton’s strengths as a cricketer is that he doesn’t overanalyse things too much. He’s as simple as they come when it’s a question of thinking about the game or not thinking about the game,” Du Plessis said without bothering to hide a smile. “He is an instinctive and talented player and he relies on that instinct. Yes, Jeetan has got the better of him so far but, with the skill Quinton has, I see coming him through this and having some success in this series.”
Head groundsman Hegan Faith was at a loss to know how his work would pan out, or who it might favour.
“The weather has been playing games with us and now we’re playing a guessing game. A lot of first-class games this season have gone down to the last session on the last day; sometimes the bowlers have done well on the first day and sometimes the batting side has come up with the chocolates.”
Either way, Du Plessis’s determination to “make a play” and the Black Caps’ injury woes make South Africa strong favourites to go one-nil up. If they can stay on their feet. Australian skipper Steve Smith accused his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli of talking “absolute rubbish” on Wednesday despite efforts to bring an end to the archrivals’ bitter war of words.
After Kohli said on the eve of the third Test that he had no regrets about accusing Australia of systematically abusing the decision review system (DRS) in their last match in Bangalore, Smith angrily denied that he was guilty of more than a momentary lapse.
Although the International Cricket Council is to hold talks to clear the air between the two men, the new exchanges are likely to complicate their efforts to broker peace between the top two-ranked Test teams.
Kohli’s accusations last week plunged the teams’ often tense ties back into crisis mode, with Australia’s board calling his comments “outrageous”, prompting an equally robust response from the Indian camp.
Speaking to reporters before the third Test in Ranchi, Kohli said his focus was on the cricket but he refused to recant the claims he made against Smith.
“I don’t regret anything that I have said but at the same time it’s very important not to be stupid and go on about the same thing on a daily basis,” he said.
India were furious when Smith was spotted looking up at his dressing room for guidance in Bangalore on whether to seek a review of the umpire’s decision after being given out lbw — a clear breach of the DRS rules.
Although Smith described the incident on the fourth and final day as a one-off, Kohli said after the match that it had been going on for days.
Asked on Wednesday about Kohli’s latest comments, Smith said he was keen to move things on — but still snapped back at his counterpart.
“Virat obviously stuck by his comments. From my point of view, they are completely wrong.”
After the match in Ranchi, the series reaches its climax in Dharamsala in a match starting on March 25. — AFP