New Zealand v South Africa, 3rd Test, Hamilton - Preview
Quinton de Kock was cleared to play in the third Test against New Zealand, with Faf du Plessis stressing the need to have the influential wicketkeeper-batsman as part of the playing XI.
The lead-up the the third and final match has seen both teams hit by injuries, but while de Kock will be available for South Africa, New Zealand will miss the services of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Ross Taylor in the Seddon Park match that begins on Saturday (March 25).
Commenting on de Kock's inclusion, du Plessis said that while New Zealand not being at full strength made things "a little bit easier", it was no reason to rest the wicketkeeer-batsman. "It's a big game. Quinton is someone who you don't just replace. From my side, I am trying to have Quinton in my team all the time," he said.
De Kock has ligament damage in his right index finger, but was given the all-clear after wearing protective covering to dull the pain during a batting and fielding practice.
"We'll be trying to put as much pressure on New Zealand, playing our strongest team. To push (de Kock) for one more game is something that's important for the team," du Plessis said before the training session. "If it's a 50-50 (injury), and I think it is, then he will be able to play definitely because it's a big game for us. To rest him for someone else, for me personally, is not an option."
New Zealand is facing a must-win situation, having gone 1-0 down in the series. It will miss both Boult and Southee. Boult didn’t recover sufficiently from a groin injury that affected him in the drawn first Test in Dunedin and was ruled out on Friday, with Scott Kuggeleijn, the uncapped Northern Districts all-rounder, called in as cover. Southee was ruled out as soon as his hamstring tear was confirmed, though no replacement was named.
Taylor continues to be hampered by the calf tear that kept him out of the second Test.
"It's an interesting process with so many injuries to try and nut down the balance that we do want to go in with," said Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper.
The injuries added to the dark clouds hovering near Hamilton, with the forecast being for showers throughout the five days of the Test
Central to du Plessis's drive to field his strongest side is that another victory over New Zealand will lift South Africa to No.2 in the world in the ICC's Test rankings, completing a remarkable turnaround since being ranked as low as seventh 12 months ago.
"It's been an incredible year for us and that's why (this Test) is so important for me," he said. "Our goal was to try get back to No.2 at the end of the season, and if we do that in this Test match it will be an incredible year and we've ticked every box and we've won every series we've played."
Despite South Africa having an unbeatable 1-0 lead though, du Plessis wanted more from his batsmen.
"The standard we set for ourselves as a batting unit is extremely high and we haven't delivered on that," he said. "In every series we've played there's been one or two guys that's put their hand up and that's been great. But, if we don't have those guys who save us on the day there would have been a few times we would have been rolled out cheaply.
"So that's a concern and that's something we have to work on. It's not good enough."
Williamson said the state of the pitch before the toss would determine the balance of the side. "Two spinners is an option we're looking at due to conditions, but also due to how many people we have fit at the moment," said Williamson.
The absence of Boult, Southee and Taylor not only meant shoring up the batting and bowling departments for New Zealand, but also the slip cordon, where Taylor was a permanent fixture and Southee a regular member.
"We were perhaps a little bit limited for the options we might have originally wanted to go in with, the balance we had, so that's why we want to think a little bit more about it and come and have a look again tomorrow."
With Lockie Ferguson, who would have otherwise been the first-choice bowling backup also injured, New Zealand turned to Kuggeleijn. The 25-year-old who bowls right-arm seamers was described by Williamson as “one of the top performers with the ball in hand but also he's scored a number of runs in that middle to lower order.”
Gavin Larsen, the national selector, indicated Neil Wagner and Matt Henry would take over the new ball duties in the absence of Boult and Southee. "Not having Trent or Tim available tests the depth of our squad, but we're confident of the job that Neil and Matt can do for us," he said.
Teams (from):
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Neil Broom, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Jeetan Patel, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Scott Kuggeleijn.
South Africa: Stephen Cook, Quinton de Kock (wk), Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (capt), JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen.
