‘Mr Reliable’ Keshav Maharaj has humbly spun his way to cricket history

20 Aug 2024

Spinner Keshav Maharaj recently showcased his quality to help the Proteas beat the West Indies in a Test series. In the process he also cemented his legacy as a South African spin king.

Proteas bowler Keshav Maharaj recently became the most successful South African spinner in Test history, surpassing Hugh Tayfield as he starred for his country during their narrow 1-0 win over the West Indies.

Maharaj managed to claim 13 wickets in the two-match series – despite the first match of the tussle ending in a stalemate due persistently disruptive rainfall in Trinidad.

His contribution to South Africa’s crucial win from a World Test Championship perspective propelled Maharaj to 171 all-time Test scalps for the Proteas. That is one more than Tayfield, who represented South Africa between 1949 and 1960.

With the South Africans knowing that victory against the Windies would propel them up the Test Championship standings, they had to dig deep to ensure this success. Maharaj led from the front on the way to securing this pivotal win.

Well-timed wickets

Due to Maharaj’s consistency across the two-match series, the 34-year-old was awarded the Player of the Series accolade. That said, he was ably assisted by the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Wiaan Mulder, Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger on his way to making history.

Maharaj struck at crucial times to guarantee that the Proteas hold on for a slender 40-run triumph over the Windies. First, he broke the 77-run seventh-wicket partnership between Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican that was threatening to wrest the tie away from the tourists in Guyana.

As the tide of the tie threatened to go the way of the Windies, Maharaj weaved his magic to trap Motie (45 off 59) leg before wicket and collapse the key partnership, thus effectively extinguishing the home side’s hopes of victory.

To cap off an excellent individual performance in the series, Maharaj aptly picked up the final wicket of the series when he dismissed seamer Jayden Seales to seal the victory for South Africa.

As a result of the win, South Africa leapt from seventh spot to fifth on the championship standings. And Maharaj cemented his place in the upper echelons of South African cricket, and in his favourite format, too – Tests.

“Kesh is an absolute workhorse, an absolute professional. And he just keeps going. I am thrilled that he now holds that record, it’s richly deserved,” said the Proteas’ red ball boss Shukri Conrad after the win.

Besides his wicket-taking prowess, Maharaj is a valuable asset owing to his leadership skills (on and off the field). This is something the Proteas’ Test team coach said was imperative as he attempts to rebuild South Africa to the formidable force they once were.

“He is great in the changeroom, he is a great sounding board for players and coaches. A really good team guy that you can easily dub ‘Mr Reliable’. And you need people like that when you are transitioning. Long may his success continue,” said Conrad about the left-armer.

Maharaj’s ability to stay calm in the most pressing situations is also a vital strength.

‘I just love bowling’

Maharaj has never shied away from carrying the bowling workload, and being effective along the way, when the Proteas’ premium fast bowlers Rabada and Anrich Nortje need a bit of rest.

Apart from the wicket-taking, it is this work ethic that makes him one of the best spinners to ever represent the Proteas, along with Imran Tahir, Nicky Boje, Paul Adams and Paul Harris.

Despite being 34 and one of the senior members of the current Proteas set-up, Maharaj is still hungry for more wickets. Across formats.

“My passion is spin bowling. I love it. I can wake up at two o’clock in the morning and if you ask me to bowl, I’ll bowl,” Maharaj, who made his debut in 2016 against Australia, told journalists after the first match of the West Indies series.

“That keeps me motivated. And also, the desire to want to do well for the team and take this team into a different direction. I’ll bowl the whole day if I need to. That’s my motivation,” the former Northwood Boys’ High School pupil added.

Maharaj said one of the secrets to his continued success was the fact that he approached every format with the same discipline and respect that he afforded Test cricket.

“From a longevity point of view, I still bowl my long hours, regardless of whether it’s T20 or 50-over cricket. It’s something I pride myself in. I don’t have many variations like the other types of spinners around the world. So, I try to rely on consistency,” Maharaj stated.

It is also this consistency that saw Maharaj star at the 2024 T20 World Cup, claiming 11 wickets as he played a perfect supporting role for Nortje and Rabada. In the end though, their historic run to a maiden World Cup final fell short as they were defeated by India in the decider in June.

Maharaj was there to offer emotional support to his teammates, despite the fact that he himself was in anguish. That is the type of personality he possesses, and that is how he will be remembered when he decides to walk away from the game.

Whatever other records he accumulates during that journey will merely be a bonus to his legacy. DM

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

South Africa

Well-timed wickets

‘I just love bowling’