AB’s return looms – but who will be dropped?
AB DE VILLIERS turned up at the pre-match warm-ups on the first day of this final Sunfoil Test, dishing out hugs and smiles, chatting to his national teammates and coaching staff.
De Villiers has loomed over the series even while he has played no part. He had given up the Test captaincy before the series started – in the short term because he could play no part due to the elbow injury that has kept him out all season, and because he could see the winds of change blowing as the team won so brilliantly in Australia.
It’s amazing how quickly this already feels like Faf du Plessis’ side. Du Plessis speaks with passion and authority whether it’s bemoaning the departure of players on Kolpak contracts or celebrating a milestone as Hashim Amla is in this match.
De Villiers looms over this series for a different reason. The assumption is he will take up a spot in the South African middle order once again. But at whose expense?
He is supposed to play a match for the Northerns semi-professional team soon to test out his elbow. If all goes well, he will return for the final T20 match of the series against Sri Lanka on January 25. And then he is expected to play a full part as one-day international captain for the five-match series against Angelo Mathews’ men. Provided he scores runs, De Villiers is also expected to be back in the Test side by the time South Africa face New Zealand in Dunedin on March 8.
So who drops out when that happens? All manner of theories have been thrown around, including axing Stephen Cook, and everyone from Amla to Temba Bavuma to Quinton de Kock has been proposed to open the innings. This series also acted as a trial for the middle order. Du Plessis can no longer be dropped given that he has only just assumed the captaincy, which leaves Bavuma and JP Duminy. Both came into this final Test facing scrutiny. They have played some important innings at various stages of the season, but to keep De Villiers out of the side because of one century – in Duminy’s case – and a couple of fifties – from Bavuma – didn’t feel like enough.
Then Duminy made a fine hundred here, transferring pressure at a time when Sri Lanka had picked up two wickets in five balls on the first morning and in combination with Amla providing a foundation for South Africa’s formidable first innings total.
Bavuma made a two-ball duck, his choice of shot yesterday not wise as he pushed hard at the ball providing the Sri Lankan slip cordon an opportunity that Kaushal Silva took.
Since the series against New Zealand last August Bavuma is averaging 23.08 and in this series after another duck yesterday, his average is 4.2. It’s not good enough, he knows it, the selectors know it and De Villiers knows it. Bavuma may not get another chance.
Duminy admitted yesterday to feeling under pressure for much of the season, knowing that De Villiers was coming back and would have to slot in somewhere. “The pressure is mainly from myself and it’s purely based on the fact that I have high expectations of myself,” he said.
“I’d be silly to say that I didn’t think of AB coming back and where would he fit in and ‘is my spot up for grabs?’ But coming into this Test my focus was to do well for the team.”
Duminy’s beautifully compiled 155 has eased the pressure on his shoulders; and Bavuma’s second consecutive duck has increased the pressure on his. Duminy’s advice to Bavuma is “to keep it simple”.
“His teammates back him,” Duminy said. “There’s a big score around the corner. It’s a matter of time for when things turn around. Everyone in a career goes through dips. He’s a great player, he’s shown that many times.”
Which is what teammates must do. Selectors have a different job and Linda Zondi and his panel have an intriguing call to make if/once De Villiers proves form and fitness.
They are well aware of the political pressures Cricket South Africa face. But a player out of form is a player out of form and if there’s someone better, especially when that someone is a player of De Villiers’ calibre, it’s very hard to ignore him.