INDIA TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA, 2018

Steyn, de Villiers comebacks pose selection puzzle for SA

by Tristan Holme • Published on

Will he get the nod for the first Test? © Getty

Newlands on a sunny day is an impossibly pleasant sight. Table Mountain, outrageously blue skies, lush green grass. But on Wednesday afternoon (January 3) anyone loitering around enjoying the view had their attention snapped towards the centre of the pitch. Something serious was happening.

Over the course of half an hour, Dale Steyn delivered the sort of transfixing spell that made him such a spectre. The past tense is deliberate, because for the past 13 months, the assumption has been that the Dale Steyn of old - the supremely athletic fast bowler with pace and skill to match anyone - will not be seen again. On Wednesday those perceptions had to change.

The batsman on the receiving end was Dean Elgar, who has spent the past 13 months opening the batting in the most challenging conditions in the world - South Africa, New Zealand, England, South Africa again - and somehow become the most reliable performer in the South African side. Yet over the course of six deliveries from Steyn he edged three and played and missed at the rest. Steyn was quick, clever and skilful. Elgar looked well out of his depth, and later confided that it was the fastest spell he had faced from Steyn.

The threatening spell was undoubtedly a calculated move from Steyn, who is in no mood to miss out on the biggest Test of the season after 13 months of painstaking rehabilitation. The day before, coach Ottis Gibson had expressed reservationsabout picking the 34-year-old in a three-man pace attack in case he broke down during the match. Clearly that is all well and good, but Steyn's form might just force the selectors to rethink their XI for the first Test against India at Newlands.

For the better part of a decade, Steyn was the first name on the bowling list, and on Thursday there were two reminders that his standing within the team has not been changed by a long injury layoff. On Instagram, Morne Morkel posted a picture of himself and Kagiso Rabada sitting on a physio's table, taking in every word from Steyn. "When Pappa talks we listen," read the caption.

Then, when captain Faf du Plessis was asked whether Steyn was being looked at, he replied: "For me, he is the best bowler in the world. He hasn't played for a while and he hasn't got the overs under his legs that he would have wanted. But facing Dale in the nets, the skill feels like it hasn't gone anywhere. He has got the same pace, and the same swing. Skillwise it's like he has just jumped back on that bicycle and is riding again."

The case for Steyn's selection is just one of so many factors that need to be taken into account when South Africa pick their XI for Newlands. Do they select an extra fast bowler so that Steyn can play? If that extra quick is an allrounder to balance the batting (and, as an aside, would that be Andile Phehlukwayo or Chris Morris?), then one of Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada must miss out, which would be harsh on any of them. Going in with all three plus Steyn and spinner Keshav Maharaj would probably be overkill, but also irresponsible if the pitch is expected to challenge the batsmen.

These decisions also impact the selection of batting resources, which hold complications of their own. Like Steyn, AB de Villiers spent a long time out of the side - almost two years in fact - which allowed Temba Bavuma a lengthy acclimatisation in Test cricket. Unless South Africa are happy to play a four-man attack, with three seamers and a spinner, either Bavuma or de Villiers will sit out. Bavuma's selection obviously carries transformation ramifications as well as the question of his future career. The complications seem never-ending.

"All angles that you look at with picking this team is a very hard decision," said du Plessis. "We will make the decision we believe is the best specifically for Newlands. I think with the make-up of our squad now we have so many different options you can look at picking a different team for different venues. That's our thinking. We have an idea of what we think will be the right team for this venue, and then we'll probably change it up again once we go up north."

Exactly what the Newlands combination looks like will only become clear when du Plessis walks out for the toss on Friday - "we're still talking about what could be our strongest XI. I would like to give you a bit of insight into it but not quite yet," he said on Thursday.

But one thing that can be said with certainty at this stage is that merit will be the main metric used in selecting the side for this Test. Although South Africa are committed to playing six players of colour, including two black Africans, the calculation is averaged out over the season. That allows them some leeway - particularly across formats - and has meant that they are yet to pick a Test side that they did not think was the best for the job. At Trent Bridge last year, for example, they included seven white players.

Nevertheless, even with that particular issue set aside for the moment, there is much to think about. "Bavuma, AB, Andile, Morris, Steyn, Morkel... The list goes on," said du Plessis. "It's tough decisions, and as a captain it's probably the hardest selection I've had. But it's certainly much better than having three seamers injured."

© Cricbuzz

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