New Zealand v South Africa, 1st Test, Dunedin – Preview
Morne Morkel will play his first Test in over a year as South Africa looks to hit New Zealand with pace in the first Test of a three-match series starting at the University Oval in Dunedin on Wednesday (March 8).
Morkel, the tall fast bowler with 242 Test wickets, last played a Test in January 2016 against England in Centurion, while his last appearance for South Africa was in an One-Day International in Bridgetown against West Indies in June. Since then, he has been out of action with a back injury which he aggravated during a tour match in Australia in November.
Alongside Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada, Morkel will form a three-pronged pace attack that will seek to capitalise on New Zealand’s somewhat fragile batting line-up. Philander has taken 32 Test wickets against New Zealand at 15.53.
South Africa has won 12 of 21 Tests against New Zealand in the last two decades and has lost just one game, and is coming off a 3-2 victory in the preceding ODI series.
New Zealand has plenty of problems on the batting front with Tom Latham, the opener, having had a horror run in the three ODIs against South Africa and Henry Nicholls struggling at No. 5, apart from making 53 and 98 against Bangladesh in January.
Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, admitted there was pressure on the whole side. "South Africa in a Test series is tough, whether it's here or away," he said. "Our record against South Africa, and anyone's record against South Africa in the last four or five years, suggests it is going to be very tough, and we're expecting that."
The teams have met at the University Oval once before, five years ago, when Philander and Morkel took six wickets between them in New Zealand's first innings.
The match ended in a draw when rain washed out the final day with New Zealand on 137 for 2 and needing a further 264 to win.
From that 2012 Test, only Philander, Morkel and Hashim Amla return for South Africa, while then captain Ross Taylor and now skipper Kane Williamson play for New Zealand along with the new ball pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
New Zealand has two spinners in its squad, Jeetan Patel and Mitchell Santner, and for the past 22 Tests played in New Zealand, the captain winning the toss has bowled first in pace-friendly conditions.
However, Williamson was giving nothing away about the balance of his side. "We have 13 players here in the squad and there'll be two unlucky guys that miss out, but we're considering all options. We want to have another look tomorrow at the surface. It can change quickly."
Teams (from):
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Gandhomme, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Jimmy Neesham, Jeetan Patel.
South Africa: Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (capt), JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Theunis de Bruyn, Heinrich Klaasen, Chris Morris, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell.
