Proteas’ Starc challenge
SOUTH Africa’s mission in Australia is to repeat the trick they did here on both previous tours. History tells us it will be a colossal task, for no team other than the West Indies immortals of the 1980s achieved the distinction of winning three consecutive Test series Down Under this century.
The man most likely to stand between the Proteas class of 2016 and legend status is a left-arm fast bowler who is playing only his first game next Tuesday after having more than 30 stitches to a deep laceration to his left leg after a training accident.
But such is the esteem with which Mitchell Starc is held within the tourists’ camp, regardless of the fact that the 26-year-old has been consigned to a couch with a leg brace for the past few weeks, that they have summoned a host of local left-arm fast bowlers to prepare for the challenge.
“It’s a general request from our management; there are not a lot of left-arm seamers,” Proteas opener Dean Elgar said yesterday.
“You have still got to tick those boxes in regard to preparation, so we definitely have got a few left-arm net bowlers. And we have got a few of our management who also throw left-arm, which is quite an asset, so we will definitely prepare in the right means.”
Elgar, who is also on the comeback trail after rolling his ankle before the final Test against New Zealand at Centurion a couple of months back, certainly needs to acquaint himself with the unique angle the left-arm seamer poses as he will most probably take first strike against Starc when the series opener gets under way at the Waca on November 3.
It will certainly be a significant challenge for the Titans left-hander as he has never gone head to head with the Australian spearhead.
Considering that Starc has 115 Test wickets at an average of 27.36, with 26 of those scalps coming in the last three-match series against Sri Lanka, there’s no doubt that Elgar will need to be absolutely alert from ball one.
“I think his stats speak for themselves.
“He is obviously a massive asset, especially striking early, which is something I obviously need to be wary of.
“It is going to be a challenge. I have never faced him, so for me it is a totally new encounter, but an exciting one. He is a serious competitor and a guy I respect.”
Elgar, though, is one of the few within the Proteas Test squad to have played with the pink ball already after it was used on the recent South Africa A tour here during the winter.
The 29-year-old is counting on that experience and the two warm-up matches the Proteas will play to prepare him for the day-night Test in Adelaide at the end of November. “I played with the pink ball against the Australia A side a couple of months ago, which was a good outing for myself knowing that we are playing in Australia now.
“It swings a little bit more up front for longer periods. I think that is probably the only difference,” Elgar said.
“I think we’ve given ourselves a lot of time coming to Australia before the first Test.
“It’s up to us how we manage it, we have to use our time that we have been allocated by management wisely. We will definitely have enough time to prepare for the first Test match.
“Today is our second practice with the pink ball. I think yesterday was a good outing for us.
“We practised in the evening during the twilight period, which has been a talking point so far.
“I think the guys are quite excited, it’s exciting to play some Test cricket again.”