Blackcaps vs South Africa: What's Up With South Africa?
Vern!
While lazy journalists roll out the same story as each other, using the same quotes as each other regarding Neil Wagner and Dean Elgar's schoolboy antics, you might have missed the arrival of Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. Perhaps you skipped the part where AB de Villiers gapped the scene, or maybe you've just got no idea who Keshav Maharaj is.
Say ka kite to the limited overs and kia ora to Test cricket because a vastly different South African crew is set to take on our battlin' Blackcaps. Almost getting as much attention as Wagner and Elgar has been the Dunedin pitch, with common sense suggesting that it won't quite possess the same pace and bounce as pitches further north. Take one look at South Africa's bowling group and you'll see why this could be beneficial to the kiwis, although if there is anything close to a bit of nibble in this deck, South Africa will be ready to exploit it.
Last time these two teams met in a Test, Dale Steyn and Philander tore the Blackcaps apart. Steyn isn't in Aotearoa and if Morkel is called upon to play then he'll receive the least assistance, yet all Philander needs is a bit of cloud-cover and a hint of movement off the pitch to pose a threat. The same can be said about Kagiso Rabada as he's someone who doesn't just really on his pace; he can swing and move the ball off the pitch as well.
South Africa have also named Duane Olivier (First-Class average of 20.49), Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris in their Test squad. That gives them six seamers in their squad to pick from and as the Blackcaps have had a preference for greener pitches in recent times - playing to their strengths and the weaknesses of touring teams - South Africa are excessively well-equipped to pounce on a pitch that could offer assistance to their seam attack.
Hence we could see this pitch go the other way and it wouldn't be a silly move to slow it down. Left-arm spinner Maharaj is the bloke to watch in that regard as he'll likely fill the No.1 spinner spot and is coming off a two-Test series against Sri Lanka where he took 7 wickets. He's only played four Tests (34avg/2.81rpo), but he's got an average of 26.72 in First-Class cricket and in both long formats he concedes less than 3rpo.
Elgar and JP Duminy will also offer some arm-rollin ability; if selected they will both bat in the top-five.
What do we know about Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock? They are good; du Plessis averages 43.68, Amla averages 49.99 and de Kock will slip down the order where he averages a rather incredible 51.04 - de Kock could bat as low as No.7 (!!).
That Test saw the veteran opening pair of Elgar and Stephen Cook open, followed by; Amla, Duminy, Olivier (night-watchman), du Plessis and Temba Bavuma.
Depending on how South Africa want to line up, Bavuma will likely be the bloke in the batting group to make way. Bavuma's in desperate need of a a solid Test knock after scoring 21 runs in five innings' against Sri Lanka and South Africa have guys like Parnell, Morris and Philander who can all wield the willow. This is a possible South African team: Cook, Elgar, Amla, Duminy, du Plessis, Bavuma, de Kock, Philander, Maharaj, Morkel/Parnell/Olivier, Rabada.
Morkel will be the one to watch as South Africa could save him for the second Test in Wellington, simply because they have the luxury of depth. They'll be less desperate to throw Morkel back into Test cricket with Parnell, Olivier and Morris all capable of stepping in and there would be some benefit long-term in giving other bowlers further opportunities with Morkel and Steyn stepping into the final chapters of their Test careers.
We know South Africa are good and they'll be good without de Villiers or Steyn. How their batsmen deal with Tim Southee and Trent Boult will be crucial as I suspect they will be eager to dominate Neil Wagner, even if that means not letting him settle into his agro-bouncer routine and not giving up their wicket to him.
Philander's a current top-three favourite Test bowler of mine and if there's one geezer who will love Aotearoa, it'll be him.