Ken Borland

Lungi Ngidi returned to international action for the first time since July on Sunday, and the facts are that even though he struggled initially, he still ended up taking all three wickets to fall on an opening day of toil for the Proteas against India at Centurion.

India, led by Lokesh Rahul’s determined 122 not out, scored 272/3 on the opening day of the series. But from South Africa’s perspective, Ngidi’s return of 3/45 in 17 overs was a big positive considering the worries over his fitness leading into the series.

While the 25-year-old was adamant that he is physically fine, he admitted to initially struggling with his rhythm, before a change of ends helped him considerably. Ngidi took the new ball from the Hennops River End and looked rusty, as did most of the bowlers as openers Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (60) put on 117 for the first wicket.

Ngidi then removed both Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) with successive deliveries midway through the second session, both falling to deliveries that snaked back into them.

“Physically I’m good, it’s not as if I’ve been sitting around vegetating, there’s been lots of training and game simulations,” Ngidi said on Sunday. “But I got more rhythm, I was more comfortable and my action felt better from the West Lane End.

“I asked at lunch if I could switch ends because at first I struggled to find my right length and areas. I just felt more comfortable from the other end.

“They were wobble-seam balls, you can’t be sure which way they will seam, but more often than not they come into the batsman. I was trying to create a bit of doubt, attack the stumps and pads more.

“They were leaving well and we expected more swing, so when the pitch is not doing as much as you expected, then you have to change plans,” Ngidi explained.

Ngidi also picked up the huge scalp of Virat Kohli, having him caught at first slip for 35, just when he was starting to show all his class. Again, the Proteas and their fans can raise a glass to Ngidi’s willingness to try something different. Kohli and Rahul were in command, having added 82 for the third wicket, when Ngidi surprised the Indian captain with a full and wide away-swinger.

“That ball gives you a chance, sometimes you have to take a gamble. In 2018 at the Wanderers I got him out with a similar delivery.

“He’s really good off his legs and through the covers, but I gave him something he maybe didn’t expect. It would have looked like a free ball to hit, but there was a bit of nibble.

“It was a roll of the dice and it went my way,” Ngidi beamed.

The misguided few will say Dean Elgar is presiding over the corpse of South African cricket, but the Proteas skipper is adamant that his team can take on India, who he readily admits are the best side in the world, blow-for-blow in the series that starts at Centurion on Boxing Day.

India’s recent victory over New Zealand, winners of the inaugural World Test Championship earlier in the year, returned them to the No.1 ranking, with the Proteas currently languishing in sixth place. But India have never won a series in South Africa and Elgar believes this home ground advantage can give them an edge.

“India have been ranked No.1 for quite some time and, in my opinion, they are the top side, the ranking system is there for a reason,” Elgar said on Friday. “But I think the series will be pretty even and playing at home gives us a bit of an upperhand.

“India have improved a lot in terms of their travelling record and Virat Kohli has put a lot of emphasis on winning on the road. Their dream is to win a series here and as captain I’ll be trying to prevent that.

“It makes it an exciting series and we’re extremely mindful that they will come out firing, but then they know we will too. India’s strength is in their bowling, we’re very aware of their success as a unit.

“I’m sure they will exploit South African conditions well, the pitches do a bit more here than elsewhere around the world, but we’ve also got a very good pace attack. The first punch is going to be important,” Elgar said.

Selecting the right attack is going to be a complex issue for the Proteas because, in their expanded squad, they have eight different pace bowling options. But while South Africa have historically been biased towards using the fast men, Elgar all but confirmed that spinner Keshav Maharaj will play at SuperSport Park.

“It’s my home ground and conditions have changed a bit, there is sometimes some turn,” Elgar said. “We want to set the game up for days four and five, when hopefully the pitch will deteriorate a bit.

“Keshav will then come into play and he’s so adaptable that he doesn’t just contain, but he can also be a wicket-taker, a strike bowler at the right time. He’s been pretty amazing for us and we can’t neglect him.

“There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing the pace attack, but we will try to tie in with the style of play we’re trying to implement. We have the luxury of an extended squad so we are able to tick all the boxes.

“I like to think we have all our bases covered in terms of selection. It’s a good headache to have, we can exploit a few options. But I still favour having a spinner in the attack,” Elgar said.

SuperSport Park, the venue for the first Test between South Africa and India from Boxing Day, is famous for being a result pitch, so does that mean the Proteas need to pack their side with batsmen against a threatening visiting attack?

But given the absence of the injured Anrich Nortje,  the question marks over Lungi Ngidi’s fitness and how well Duanne Olivier, returning after nearly three years, and Marco Jansen, who would make his international debut, will slot into Test cricket, the temptation to pack their attack with four pacemen, including all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, will be big.

There have been 26 Tests played at Centurion and only three of them have ended in a draw. All three draws have been against England, with the last one, in 2009, the most recent Test at SuperSport Park which did not have a result.

The previous Test there saw South Africa beat Sri Lanka by an innings last December, and they fielded an attack featuring three specialist quicks, Mulder and spinner Keshav Maharaj. On a flat pitch on which more than a thousand runs were scored in the first innings, that line-up worked well, with Mulder taking five wickets in the match and having 36 runs on his tab as well.

Ngidi has spent more time off the field than on it this year, however, and has only bowled seven competitive overs since July. Given his previous fitness issues, there have to be worries that he might not be able to last an entire Test match, so the Proteas will need some bowling insurance if he does play.

Left-armer Jansen’s star is on the rise and he was impressive with bat and ball for SA A against India A earlier this month, but to field the 21-year-old rookie alongside Olivier, who last played a Test in February 2019, involves some risks as well.

India have a similar selection debate to deal with. They have fielded five bowlers for most of the year, but with no Ravindra Jadeja on tour, do they have the confidence to bat Ravichandran Ashwin at No.7?

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami will lead India’s attack, but is Mohammad Siraj going to be their third paceman or does Shardul Thakur, who has scored three fifties already in his four Tests, get the nod because he and Ashwin combined give good batting depth?

Of course, India could play all four fast bowlers and leave out Ashwin, but considering his success against South African batsmen, that is unlikely.

Either way, a pitch that has had plenty of rain on it and usually provides pace and bounce, and two quality pace attacks, could have batsmen asking Mama to tuck them in with a cup of cocoa on the eve of the game.

Duanne Olivier is a big mean fast bowler and no toady trying to reingratiate himself with the South African public, so when he says, despite framing his Proteas cap, that he is massively honoured to play for the national team again, we should believe him.

Olivier last played for South Africa in February 2019, after which he declared himself a Kolpak player and therefore unavailable for the Proteas. His was a controversial departure too, because he was in the Test squad and had just negotiated a better contract with CSA.

When the Kolpak system was done away with due to Brexit, there were many who felt those players should not be selected again for the national team, but Olivier’s superb form for the Central Gauteng Lions has won the day.

But the 29-year-old seemed to have made peace with the fact that he might have played his last Test.

“I didn’t expect to play again, so I actually framed my baggy. It’s a massive frame … so I’m going to have to ask for a new cap if I’m selected in the XI or reframe it!” Olivier revealed on Thursday.

“But it’s a special feeling to get the call-up, I was so surprised to get the phone call when I was in Port Elizabeth with my wife, I didn’t expect it at all.

“It’s a massive honour and I’m very happy to be back. Wherever I can contribute, on or off the field, as 12^th or 13^th man, whatever, that’s what I want to do. I have not been here for nearly three years, so it’s very special to me.

“People will have mixed feelings about me playing, but that’s okay. I will deal with the criticism that comes with it, but I felt very welcome by the team when I came back,” Olivier said.

In Olivier’s first incarnation as a Test player, he was a fearsome fast bowler who worked batsmen over with pace and bounce as he generally dug the ball in short. But the former Free State and Yorkshire player says his bowling now has a few more qualities.

“I feel like a different player, I’m more mature now, a bit more grown-up. From a cricket point of view, the UK helped a lot and I was able to perfect that fuller length every bowler wants.

“Before, I became a bit floaty and wasn’t that consistent when I tried to bowl fuller. But three seasons in the UK have helped immensely with how I approach my bowling.

“I can still go short if I want to, but I feel like there are different elements to my game now and I believe in my strengths and processes.

“But I’m always nervous before I play and if I’m selected for the first Test then I think my nerves will shoot through the roof. The pressure and expectation is high, but it’s okay to feel it – it’s how you handle it that matters,” Olivier said.