Elgar toying with playing two spinners in first Test against Bangladesh

SA captain Dean Elgar said the team is looking at a few bowling combinations for the first Test against Bangladesh in Durban, including the possibility of playing two spinners, as the Proteas go into combat for the two-match series without their front-line attack.

The Proteas will line up at Kingsmead for the first Test on Thursday without the experience of bowling spearheads Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortjé, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen, and batters Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen.

The players have chosen the riches of the IPL over national team duty.

As the team assembled in Durban on Sunday to begin preparations for first match against Bangladesh, which forms part of the ICC World Test Championship, the six regular Test players were settling in with their IPL teams in India.

Elgar said the team management still had time to consider the right bowling combination but he will look to Duanne Olivier, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Lizaad Williams, Daryn Dupavillon and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for pace.

“All options are available to us at the moment. We’ve had some really good conversations with regards to what kind of combinations will suit us to take 20 wickets against Bangladesh,” said the skipper.

Keshav Maharaj is SA's first-choice Test spinner. Kingsmead wickets have over the past few years continuously proved to be uncharacteristically low and slow and Elgar said the team won’t hesitate to deploy a twin-spin attack, with Simon Harmer partnering Maharaj if need be.

“Playing two spinners in Durban is very much a talking point for us but it is just about what is the best way for us to get the 20 wickets,” Elgar said.

“The conditions in Durban have been slow and I think we have got a lot of areas covered in that regard.

“As a captain, I’m sitting with maybe three different combinations that we can go with for our bowling unit.”

Kingsmead, where Tests tend to not go the full five days, hosts a long format match for the first time since 2019. An expected crowd of about 5,000 is expected over the weekend playing days, after the government's easing of Covid-19 restrictions in stadiums to 50% of capacity.

Elgar said there has been rain in Durban but hopes the ground staff will prepare a pitch that can last 15 sessions.

“The field is a bit wet but it doesn’t look there is any sign of rain today,” Elgar said on Monday. It was an absolute scorcher this morning at practice and I think it will be hot in the coming days as well.

“We want more grass on the wicket and preparations have gone well from what I have seen. Hopefully they can make the pitch and bit more hard, with pace and bounce, but we want a wicket that can go the five days.

“It’s been a while since Kingsmead had a Test match and it would be great to go all five days.”

Elgar is expected to open with Sarel Erwee, with Keagan Petersen coming in at three. 

Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verryenne are expected to bat at four and five and it will be a toss-up between the uncapped pair of Khaya Zondo and Ryan Rickleton to slot in at number six, with Mulder playing the all-rounder role at number seven.

Olivier, Sipamla, Stuurman, Mulder and Maharaj are the expected bowling attack for the first Test.

TimesLIVE