Proteas go all out, name full-strength squad for 1st Test
South Africa have announced a full strength 15 member squad for the upcoming first Test against India, which is scheduled to kick off from the 5th of January in Cape town. The Proteas have opted for a formidable pack of seam blowing attack which could cause troubles for the Indian side on the bounce friendly surfaces in South Africa. Here's more!
South Africa's squad
Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn.
Faf du Plessis returns to lead the Proteas
Faf du Plessis, who was handed over the responsibilities of leading the side across all three formats in September, returns to lead his side after missing out the Test against Zimbabwe due to a viral infection. The Proteas will convene in Cape Town on January 2nd to begin their preparations. The two big names included are AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn.
Dale Steyn to return after a year
Veteran pacer, Dale Steyn, has made a comeback to the squad after being out of action for long. All eyes will be on him when Proteas take the field on 5th January. This would be Steyn's first international test since his shoulder injury. In the past, Steyn has been lethal on bouncy pitches and could cause problems for Indian openers.
Will the 2 year sabbatical help ABD?
AB de Villiers, who is one of the greatest batsmen the sport has seen, is making a comeback to Test cricket after a 2 year sabbatical. He led his side to victory against Zimbabwe in the historic 4 day Test which concluded in just 2 days. The South African also amassed 10,000 first class runs in that match against Zimbabwe.
Chris Morris returns to the fold
All-rounder, Chris Morris, has recovered from a groin injury and has been named in the 15-member squad. Morris, however, hasn't played international cricket since July, South African selectors haven't named a reserve wicketkeeper even though Quinton de Kock is yet to recover from a hamstring strain. This clearly suggests that selectors are confident that he would recover in time for the Test.
Full strength squad enough to halt India?
Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and AB de Villiers have been out of South Africa's Test squads since 2016 due to several reasons. Proteas have not played with a full strength squad since 2015. Will the sabbatical help the hosts contain high flying Virat Kohli and company is something that remains to be seen.
