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The Proteas Test team is maturing into a formidable outfit with bat and ball

The Proteas Test team is maturing into a formidable outfit with bat and ball
South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj (right) celebrates with Kagiso Rabada after the the dismissal of Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 22 October 2024. (Photo: Tanvin Tamim / AFP)
Keanan Hemmonsbey
By Keanan Hemmonsbey
1 Nov 2024
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South Africa’s 2-0 series win over Bangladesh has shown the growth the Proteas side has made in the Test arena.

The young Proteas Test side is starting to come of age, heralded by their 2-0 series win over Bangladesh, their first win in the subcontinent in more than a decade.

Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs are two young batters that red-ball coach Shukri Conrad plucked from domestic cricket and selected in the top order of his Test side.

Wiaan Mulder was in the wilderness in Test cricket, with Marco Jansen set to hold the all-rounder berth for years to come.

But Conrad backed Mulder to come good in international red-ball cricket.

All three aforementioned men scored their maiden Test centuries in South Africa’s innings and 273-run second Test win over Bangladesh in Chittagong to help South Africa secure their series win.

“The belief that it instils in this group,” Conrad said, explaining why the series win in the subcontinent is so important. “How we went about our business, and the growth that you see within them on a daily basis.

“On so many levels it was a special win and so important for this group, especially for what lies ahead over the next couple of months; that makes it even more exciting.”

To put the challenge of winning in the subcontinent into perspective, of the past 35 Test series hosted in Asia over the past 10 years, only six have been won by a visiting side.

Batting blocks


Proteas cricket Proteas bowler Kagiso Rabada (left) in action during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 22 October 2024. (Photo: Tanvin Tamim / AFP)



Proteas Test team South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada carries Proteas teammate Keshev Maharaj as they celebrate after the the dismissal of Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 22 October 2024. (Photo: Tanvin Tamim / AFP)



De Zorzi’s splendid 177, Stubbs’ well-crafted 106 and Mulder’s unbeaten 105 marked South Africa’s fourth century in the series after Kyle Verreynne’s match-altering 114 in the first Test in Mirpur, which guided the Proteas to a seven-wicket win.

It’s a massive uptick in centuries from the side which only struck one century in their last two series in the West Indies and New Zealand.

Conradm however, believes that his side is capable of scoring centuries regularly if the conditions allow.

“I’ve always said that if you give us conditions that are batter friendly, or not too spicy – as we have become accustomed to – then the guys can get hundreds,” he said.

“Bowlers are made to work, and we have bowlers that can toil away and create opportunities.

“For me it’s all about having good-enough wickets for batters.

“We’re not going to ask for specific conditions back home; we want good wickets because we feel that we can create enough opportunities on good wickets, and our batters have now shown that they can get hundreds.”

Although David Bedingham has failed to kick on to get a big score in the last two tours, he has also shown that he can make lots of runs at this level – he was the last South African centurion before the tour to Bangladesh.

Keshav and Kagiso


Winning a Test match requires taking 20 wickets, however, and South Africa achieved that with the help of two world-class bowlers.

Left-arm finger spinner Keshav Maharaj (13) and fast-bowler Kagiso Rabada (14) took 27 of the 40 Bangladeshi wickets across the two Test matches.

Rabada collected the scalps at a ridiculous average of nine runs for every wicket.

“Having Kesh and KG in your side… When you pull off wins like we have, you know that they’re going to be taking the bulk of the wickets,” Conrad said.

“You then have to fashion your attack around how you’re going to give them the best opportunities of getting those piles of wickets.

“Kesh bowls a hell of a lot of overs so there’s more of a chance of him picking up five-wicket hauls, but [with] the continuous threat that KG possesses, you don’t ever want him bowling in dead overs or in defensive situations.

“At every turn when he has the ball in his hand, you want him to look to strike and be attacking.

“We were certainly very confident that we’re going to pick up 20 wickets because we have two of the best in the world.”

After a period of searching for where the runs are going to come from, South Africa have the makings of a powerful Test batting line-up. And while the prime talents of Rabada and Maharaj continue to rip through teams with the ball, the Proteas will always be in with a chance.

South Africa’s next Test assignment is a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home starting at the end of November. DM

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