Latest news with #NewYear'sTest
IOL News
6 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
KG, Lungi, Marco showed what it means to be a good pace attack for Proteas, says Kwena Maphaka
Kwena Maphaka revealed that he feels inspired after the Proteas recently won the World Test Championship. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix When Kagiso Rabada handed Kwena Maphaka his maiden ODI cap last summer, he reiterated the Proteas team ethos – 'to those before us and those to come' – in a speech that passed down a long-standing tradition. That painted a vivid picture of what it means to play for the country and what is expected of a Proteas player. Six months later, Maphaka, 19, is about to take on the biggest responsibility of his young career: leading the South African pace attack for the first time in Test cricket in the absence of the rested Rabada and the other senior quicks. To his advantage, the heroics of Lord's remain a fresh memory. Rabada's nine-wicket haul, along with the 11 other Australian wickets shared amongst the bowlers, offers a perfect template of what a Proteas bowling performance should look like. In an exclusive interview with Independent Media, Maphaka said that the Proteas' efforts in the World Test Championship final at Lord's inspired him to raise his game in the upcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe, which starts at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo tomorrow. 'The World Test Championship final was an absolute spectacle. One of the key conversations going into the match was South Africa's pace attack versus Australia's pace attack,' said Maphaka. 'The likes of KG, Lungi, Marco and Wiaan really showed what it means to be a great pace attack, and they put South Africa's fast bowlers back on the map. 'There's been a lot of talk about the fast bowlers coming out of South Africa – and really good ones at that – so seeing that was really special. 'It's given me inspiration to raise my game and be the newcomer rising through the ranks. 'Hopefully, I can emulate what they've done. 'Hopefully, we reach another World Test Championship final, and I could be the one doing the job for the Proteas.' Maphaka was also among the fans at OR Tambo International Airport during the Proteas' homecoming last week – an experience he described as 'weird', finding himself back in the shoes of the fan he used to be. 'I was at the airport for the Proteas homecoming after they won the World Test Championship final, and it was really cool being in and amongst the fans – being a bit of a fan myself,' he said. 'It's a pretty weird situation to be in because I've been a fan of these guys for so long. I watched them on TV, and then I got to play with them. 'It took me back to my 14- or 15-year-old self, just being a fan again and soaking in the moment with the rest of the people there.' Maphaka will lead the attack in the first Test before Lungi Ngidi joins the squad for the second. The left-armer, who made his Test debut in January at Newlands, plans to settle quickly in Bulawayo. 'The first – and currently only – time I played Test cricket was in January on debut. That New Year's Test was really special,' said Maphaka. 'I started shakily, but I found my feet as the game went on. 'Going into this Zimbabwe Test tour, I just want to make sure I find my feet early and perform at my best.'
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Rishabh Pant's next-level mind game; 'sledges' England wicketkeeper into blunder after six against Shoaib Bashir
India have built a unique leadership combo in Test cricket. While the calm and composed Shubman Gill leads as captain, his deputy Rishabh Pant is cut from a different cloth — lively, vocal behind the stumps, part commentator, part motivator, and always ready with a clever mind game or two. Sachin Tendulkar recently exposed one such moment, but another slipped under the radar on Day 2 in Leeds. Rishabh Pant smashed his seventh career ton on Saturday Incidentally, both happened during India's first innings batting, both during a Shoaib Bashir over. The one that Sachin revealed pertained to the use of the Hindi language in which Pant and Gill conversed, especially during the overs from the spinner, who is of Pakistani origin and hence is well acquainted with the language. Taking to social media, the batting legend reckoned that the ploy was used to unsettle Bashir. Later in the same innings, shortly after Pant notched up his seventh career Test century, he sledged England wicket-keeper Jamie Smith into a blunder. In what was caught on Cricbuzz commentary at the start of the 104th over, Pant was heard telling Smith that "fielders are all back, again." He then went down on one knee against the flighted delivery from Bashir and slog swept it over square for a six. Bashir dished out a similar one on the next ball and Pant danced down the track for another maximum, but failed to connect as the delivery spun past the bat. It presented England with an easy opportunity to dismiss the Indian batter, but Smith fumbled. The ball had bounced a fair bit, and the wicketkeeper, too, had hurried to dislodge the bails, and in a bid didn't collect the ball. "Pant sledged the keeper into a mistake," Cricbuzz noted. Pant eventually finished with 134 runs. It was the third century in the innings after similar knocks from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill as India notched up their highest total in an away Test since making 622/7 dec in the New Year's Test in Sydney in 2019. This was also their first 400-plus total in England since 664 at the Oval in 2007. However, it was also the lowest total that included three individual tons, as India lost their last seven wickets for just 41 runs.
The Star
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Temba Bavuma out of Zimbabwe tour, Keshav Maharaj to captain Proteas
Proteas Men's Test captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe due to a left hamstring strain. Bavuma sustained the injury while batting during South Africa's second innings on day three of the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground. He is set to undergo further scans to assess the extent of the injury. The 35-year-old batted through the injury in the final in a move that helped steer the Proteas to a five-wicket victory over Australia, securing the country's first ICC trophy in 27 years. No replacement has been named for Bavuma, and in his absence, Keshav Maharaj will captain the side for the first time in Tests. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, having also played a key role in the Test Championship final last week, where he took three wickets in the second innings, including that of Steve Smith, is only available for selection for the second Test of the tour. With the two senior players not available for selection in the first Test, it means that South Africa's uncapped players, including Lesego Senokwane, Dewald Brevis, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Codi Yusuf and Prenelan Subrayen, could get their maiden baggy greens at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Capped batters, Matthew Breetzke and Zubayr Hamza, are also in with a good chance to have yet another crack in Test cricket, having last played Test cricket last year. Tony de Zorzi, who did not play in the New Year's Test match against Pakistan earlier this year and the Test Championship final at Lord's last week, will have a crucial opportunity to play against Zimbabwe and challenge for the opening spot when the full-strength team returns to action later this year. The two Test matches do not fall within the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle but will play a key role in giving the fringe players an important exposure to Test cricket and thus widen the talent pool for the Test team. The squad will depart for Bulawayo on Tuesday, 24 June, from OR Tambo International Airport. The first Test gets underway on Saturday, 28 June, followed by the second Test from Sunday, 06 July, with both matches taking place at Queens Sports Club. South Africa Test Squad against Zimbabwe Keshav Maharaj (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne and Codi Yusuf.
Daily Maverick
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
South Africa stepped up when it mattered in turbulent path to World Test Championship final
'It's an opportunity to do something special,' says stalwart batter Aiden Markram on the Proteas' bid for the mace. South Africa's journey to the World Test Championship (WTC) final has been a rollercoaster that they hope ends with the mace in their hands when they take on Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground this week. It's been a two-year journey that began terribly, with South Africa losing three of their first four matches. Two were against New Zealand when the Proteas sent a weakened side to the Land of the Long White Cloud at the start of 2024, because, in a calendar clash, their best players were contractually obliged to play in the SA20. The other loss was against India at Newlands Cricket Ground on the New Year's Test in 2024, when the Proteas lost by seven wickets in one of the strangest matches in cricket history. The match lasted only 107 overs – less than two days – the shortest completed Test match. South Africa were skittled for 55 and 176 in their two innings. Opener Aiden Markram scored 106 in the second innings. The second-highest score was 15 by Kyle Verreynne, with, in the entire match, only four other SA batters reaching double figures. It was an unbelievable knock, but a match Markram surprisingly barely recalls. His memory of the matches South Africa won in the WTC cycle is a lot better, and those he speaks of with pride. 'The Sri Lanka game at Kingsmead was quite special,' Markram told Daily Maverick at Lord's. '[We were] cruising, we lost a few poles and emotions were all over the place, then Marco [Jansen] and KG [Rabada] got us over the line. That was a really cool game.' That match was at the start of the previous home Test summer that ended with the Proteas' sealing a spot in the WTC final. The Proteas' tails were between their legs after being bundled out for 191, before Jansen's seven wickets in 6.5 overs, which saw the Lankans dismissed for 42. South Africa went on to win by 233 runs. Leadership While most in the team have fond memories of their two-wicket win over Pakistan at Centurion on the Boxing Day Test last year, when Rabada and Jansen's 51-run ninth-wicket partnership secured their place in the WTC final, Markram takes pride in what happened after. 'The last one against Pakistan, after we had qualified, to test the character of the team if they're still going to be up for it, if they're still down to win,' he said. 'Pakistan pushed us all the way at Newlands. We bowled plenty of overs where we were in the dirt nicely there and the guys found a way to win, by 10 wickets. Another box ticked by South Africa was winning a series in the subcontinent for the first time in 10 years after crushing Bangladesh by seven wickets and then an innings and 273 runs in their two-match series last year, before they played Sri Lanka. 'The Bangladesh tour was huge,' Markram said. 'Winning in the subcontinent for the first time in however many years. There's been really good things that have happened along the way for us to get here now.' Markram was the captain on that Bangladesh tour, after regular skipper Temba Bavuma re-injured his elbow. The powerful opening batter has taken his role as a senior member of the side and part of the leadership group seriously as he tries to help the youngsters stepping in. 'It is very individual,' Markram said. 'I'm there to be a sounding board for Temba, who's leading the way and to bounce ideas off each other on the park from a tactical point of view. 'But off the field, it's really important for me to be there for the younger guys, for the guys coming through, the guys that maybe haven't experienced things and to let them know it's never [quite] as difficult as it seems. Being there for them in that regard and just making sure mentally they're in a really good space.' On coach's support While the past two years have been a whirlwind for the national side, it's been particularly up and down for Markram. The 30-year-old is South Africa's third-highest run scorer in the current WTC cycle with 572 (one hundred and three fifties). Only Bavuma and David Bedingham have scored more. But his Test career was at a crossroads just before the cycle got under way. South Africa's final series before Shukri Conrad took over as head coach was against Australia at the back end of 2022. Markram was dropped from the Test squad that toured Down Under. When Conrad took the helm three months later, Markram was called straight back into the side, with the coach declaring him the best opening batter in the country, having worked with him since he was 19 in the SA Academy side. 'Any player will tell you that when a coach backs you like that, it helps you go out there and puff your chest out and believe in yourself and try to perform,' Markram said. 'I've come a long way with Shuks, from basically just out of school and here we are 10 years later, and it sort of feels like a full circle moment. 'He's not just backed me like that, he's backed each and every individual in the group, and I do think that brings the best out of all the players.' Now, 26 months since his recall and 28 since Conrad's appointment, South Africa are one match away from their first International Cricket Council trophy since 1998. 'You would be silly to say it's just another game,' Markram said. 'It's pretty much as big as it gets at one of the coolest venues against one of our oldest rivals. It definitely doesn't get bigger than that; that's what excites us. 'It's an opportunity to do something special at an incredible venue against a great opposition, so that's the exciting part of it.' DM
Daily Maverick
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Proteas batting under the microscope as Australia appear stronger in that department
South Africa's batsmen look like no match for their Australian counterparts on paper, but a deeper look reveals it's closer than it initially appears. South Africa's and Australia's bowlers are fairly evenly matched, so the battle for the World Test Championship (WTC) mace is likely to come down to whose batters perform best. On the face of it, Australia's batters are far superior. The Proteas are in the process of a hit-out against Zimbabwe in a warm-up match in Arundel in Sussex in preparation for the WTC final. All of the batters got a chance to be out in the middle and face a red leather ball for the first time since their New Year's Test at Newlands. Three batters passed 50 before retiring — Ryan Rickelton (62), Temba Bavuma (58) and Tristan Stubbs (58). The only batters to be dismissed were Aiden Markram (13) and Wiaan Mulder (26) as the team posted 313 with nine players padding and facing up. 'It was a nice opportunity for the batters to get out there,' said Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince. 'I'm sure some of the batters would have liked to stay out there a bit longer, but we're keeping an eye on the weather… We're taking this for what it is, it's preparation.' Bavuma and Rickelton scored their runs in quick time with strike rates of more than 65, while Stubbs faced more than double the number of balls to score his runs. 'Most of the guys got a nice stint out there in the middle,' Prince said. 'Some were a little bit more fluent than others, but we have some days left for all of the guys to find their rhythm. 'Batting can be that way sometimes where not everyone has the same rhythm. 'The main outcome is that everybody had a chance and could spend some time in the middle.' A closer look The South African batters' techniques will be under the microscope when they face Australia next week. Rickelton is the only Proteas batter in the World Test Championship squad with a batting average more than 40 (41.06). His last innings, which was a wonderfully constructed 259 against Pakistan in South Africa's last Test match, is a big reason it isn't below 40 as he had a stuttering start to his international red-ball career. Meanwhile, every batter in Australia's top six — barring the vacant opening spot — has a Test average in excess of 40 with star batter Steve Smith leading the way with a world-beating 56.74 average. While Smith has an outstanding record around the world, his overall average and those of the rest of the top six are inflated by their records in their home country, Australia. Smith's average would still exceed 50 even if he played every match of his career away from home, as he's one of the best Test batters to have played the game, but his overall average would be much lower if you remove the nearly 60 runs per innings he scores at home. Marnus Labuschagne, for example, averages nearly 56 in Australia but only 35 once he leaves Aussie shores. It's not unusual to be better suited to your home conditions, nearly every player averages more at home than away, but South Africa don't have the same luxury of scoring a similar volume of runs at home because of how tricky the conditions often are. Proteas batters aren't able to compensate to the same extent at home for poor away records. A tough outing Batting in Test cricket in South Africa is one of the hardest tasks in the sport, even if you're from the country. While Australia offers additional heightened bounce and speed off the wicket for bowlers, South African decks do the same with the inclusion of lateral movement, both off the deck and through the air — depending on the venue. High individual scores and team scores are rare in the republic. Over the past 10 years, besides South Africa, England are the only side to have scored over 400 more than once in the country. Statistically, 39.5% of matches in South Africa are likely to see a score in excess of 400 in any innings of a Test match (17 of the 43 matches that have been hosted in the country across the last 10 years). However, 67% of matches in Australia have seen a score in excess of 400 in any innings in a Test match in the same time period (35 of the 52 matches).
