Rassie makes bid for a Test place
IN FINE FORM: LIONS BATSMAN STILL HUNGRY FOR RUNS
Ken Borland
Although Highveld Lions batsman Rassie van der Dussen looked as relaxed as one of the espresso drinkers at one of the pavement cafes up the road from the Wanderers for the vast majority of the 457 minutes he spent at the crease crafting his commanding 154 not out against the Dolphins, the World Cup star said his innings required plenty of mental strength.
Which would have been very propitious in the last four-day game before the squad for the first Test against England is selected, if Cricket South Africa actually had a selection panel. At the moment it seems CEO Thabang Moroe will be choosing the Proteas squad.
Nevertheless, the composure and skill Van der Dussen showed on a tricky pitch certainly advanced his case for a Test debut on Boxing Day in Centurion; and he admitted he imagined he was in a Test-like battle at the crease.
“The timing is good and I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and if the Test call-up comes then I’ll make sure I put in everything to be ready. It was probably the closest to a Test innings I’ve ever played, while I was batting there was a lot to think about – the slope of the pitch, the movement and the grass that made the ball seam around, and then the cracks came into play.
“I just told myself I’ve got to be really tight, disciplined and compact. You couldn’t just get in and score freely, the whole innings was like scoring your first 10 runs. Normally once you get to 20 or 30 you have an idea of how the pitch is playing, but you were just never in on that surface, which is why there were lots of 20s and 30s. The Wanderers is probably the toughest place to bat in the country,” Van der Dussen said.
The 30-year-old has now played 18 ODIs and averages a phenomenal 73.77, and he averages 31 with a strike-rate of 132 in his nine T20 internationals. Having come through a disastrous Proteas campaign at the World Cup with fine figures of 311 runs at an average of 62.20 and a strike-rate of 90.40, Van der Dussen has shown he can handle the pressure and is ready for Test cricket.
“I’ve had a taste of international cricket and some success, and I know I can perform even though Test cricket is at a whole different level,” Van der Dussen said.