Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma gained the toss and elected to bowl first on Thursday within the Boxing Day Check towards Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Corbin Bosch will make his Check debut on his residence floor.
Play is because of begin at 10:00.
TEAMS
South Africa
Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson
Pakistan
Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Glulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wkt), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas
There’s rather a lot on the road for South Africa, though Pakistan will wish to maintain their mathematical however immensely distant hopes of a World Check Championship (WTC) ultimate spot alive.
It’s been six years since Pakistan have visited these shores for a Check sequence – a niche so lengthy there are few widespread gamers on both aspect to have performed within the final one.
South Africa are on a roll on this two-year cycle.
They’ve gained 5 of their final six Exams (the opposite was a draw), and held India 1-1 at residence.
The quirk of this format implies that the less Exams you play, the higher.
They may make the ultimate regardless of sending a third-string reserve aspect to New Zealand throughout the SA20 to lose 2-0.
Regardless of that, they should win one of many two Exams right here to be assured a spot.
Pakistan have had a more durable cycle.
They dispatched Sri Lanka at residence, however have been clean-swept in Australia after which at residence to Bangladesh.
They have been trying in serious trouble when England bashed them for 823 runs in 150 overs in Multan, however a swift flip in strategy noticed their two veteran spinners cause them to two Check wins.
Their hopes of qualification requires South Africa to be penalised factors for a gradual over charge, after which profitable each Exams right here after which their two towards the West Indies.
This state of affairs requires the Australia-India sequence to finish favourably too.
It’s unlikely a WTC ultimate is their focus now, however all they will do is try and win their final 4 Exams and see the place the opposite outcomes take them.
Pakistan have made a few modifications to the squad that got here from behind to beat England 2-1 at residence.
Babar Azam and Naseem Shah are again after being dropped for the second and third Exams, although Shaheen Shah Afridi has not been included.
This marks a common decline within the red-ball format for the left-armer, and he could now not be a precedence within the format.
The necessity for only one spinner implies that Noman Ali has been most popular over Sajid Khan, who took 19 wickets in two Exams towards England.
Two pacers have been drafted in to exchange spinners Abrar Ahmed and Zahid Mehmood.
Khurram Shahzad is again after a rib harm – he had taken six towards Bangladesh again in August.
Excitingly, Mohammad Abbas is again after three years.
The skilled seamer is the one quick bowler within the squad who was additionally within the aspect for Pakistan’s final Check tour to South Africa in 2018-19.
Spinners Abrar Ahmed and Zahid Mahmood, together with reserve gamers Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Mohammed Huraira and Mehran Mumtaz have been dropped too.
South Africa making the Check ultimate can be a big achievement.
They’ve been dominant in world tournaments these days – the ODI aspect made the World Cup semi-finals and the T20I aspect have been so near a ultimate.
Nobody would begrudge them their time within the sunshine.
However first, they should win.
Gamers to observe
Temba Bavuma is in nice type. He scored 70, 113, 78 and 66 towards Sri Lanka. He made his Check debut precisely ten years in the past on Boxing Day towards West Indies. He has typically been criticised however has been regular usually on this format and is now making constant scores to silence the haters for good. He’s been their finest batter this yr – and 7 different South Africans have hit a whole lot this yr.
Naseem Shah’s Check profession is but to really take off. There’s a likelihood he has been over-bowled in latest occasions, amidst harm issues. Situations in South Africa would possibly swimsuit him properly – excessive tempo is required to make an affect in Centurion. He’s by no means performed right here earlier than, so it is a good likelihood for him. Dropped after the primary Check debacle in Multan, he’s again with a degree to show.
Stat assault
South Africa have a 12-2 (one draw) file towards Pakistan in residence Exams.
South Africa have gained 9 of the final ten Exams held in Centurion – solely India defeated them in 2021.
The Proteas’ gamers have had ten Check centuries this yr – they haven’t managed this a lot since 2017.
Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique are averaging 8 as a gap partnership in Exams. They’ve hit 96 runs collectively in 12 Check innings. 4 of these have ended on zero.
Mohammed Abbas’ inclusion (and Afridi’s exclusion) makes him the bowler with essentially the most Check wickets within the squad – 90.
Kyle Verreynne is the one keeper to hit two Check centuries in 2024.
Kagiso Rabada has 57 Check wickets at Centurion, the second highest of all time. He wants three to overhaul Dale Steyn on 59.
How do you foresee the two-Check sequence pans out?
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