South Africa’s performance in the series against Australia was nothing short of sensational.
This article was going to be a report card, rating the players performances over the course of the three games, but ultimately that seems like a futile exercise given the level of performance across the board in what was undoubtedly a series victory where everyone contributed.
Instead, let’s take the opportunity to look at the takeaways following what will surely go down in history as one of the most engrossing Test series ever played on South African soil.
Temba Bavuma’s leadership
Plenty has already been said about Temba Bavuma’s leadership, but it would be amiss not to focus on it again. No player in the history of Test cricket, who has skippered ten or more games, has a better win percentage than Bavuma.
Indeed, Bavuma’s only defeat in Test cricket came in the series opener against Australia. Aside from that he has drawn once and led his team to 13 victories.
His record is better than Donald Bradman, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Pat Cummins. And unlike any of the aforementioned names, Bavuma is not leading a team of mega-stars, not a single batsman in the current Protea lineup is able to boast a batting average of over 40.
Proteas’ all-round depth
The Proteas may not boast any players with a batting average over 40, but where they are blessed is in the allrounder department. A quick look at the latest ICC Test allrounder rankings shows five South African players in the top 20 positions.
Marco Jansen is first, Wiaan Mulder is fourth, Simon Harmer is eighth and KG Rabada is 12th. Keshav Maharah, who only played in Durban also features.
Any team who can field a player like Jansen, who averaged 39.60 with the bat during the series and who took 13 wickets at 19.76 is a team in a good position.
Similarly, Harmer averaged 39.33 with the bat and took 14 wickets at 29.35 with the ball while Mulder weighed in with a batting average of 37.40 and took ten wickets at 23.70.
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Outstanding balance
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two sides over the three-match series was the incredible balance within the South African team. The balance brought by the potent Proteas allrounders is a key part to that, but so too is the balance in their ages and experience.
Where, for the most part, Australia are a creaking unit of experienced old men, most of whom, while still very good players, are past their prime, South Africa have a mix of experience and new blood.
They have players in their prime, players before their prime and players past their prime. That is an important place to be as it brings a host of different perspectives and abilities to the mix.
There was the freshness and confidence of Marques Ackerman, the veteran leadership of Bavuma, the players in their prime like Jansen and Mulder and the experience of Test veterans like Markram and Rabada.
Spoiled for depth
Competition for places and the ability to be flexible with selection is very important and in that regard the Proteas were spoiled for choice. It is not just about who played, take a moment to look at the players not selected.
Senuran Muthusamy scarcely gets a mention, but he is part of the squad. In his last three Tests Muthusamy contributed scores of 109 and 89 not out while also managing match figures of 11 for 174 in Lahore.
That is a remarkable contribution for a man who can’t make the match day XI. Similarly, Keshav Maharaj only played one Test while Anrich Nortje came back from the cold for the two opening games of the series and performed like he had been there for years.
When he departed with injury Gerald Coetzee stepped up and did a job. The Proteas have a very strong first XI, but they also have a very strong second tier, waiting to step up.
No Proteas passengers
Nobody can suggest that the Proteas carried any players. The XI who were selected for each Test were the best available based on form, not reputation.
The same simply cannot be said for Australia where Marnus Labuschagne is the poster child for a selection based on reputation rather than form. Labuschagne managed just 131 runs across six innings for an average of 21.83.
But he was not the only player who lacked form for Australia.
Nic Maddinson who opened in the first two games was an odd selection, while perhaps not enough has been made about the limited return of Australian skipper Pat Cummins who managed just six wickets the whole series at an average of 54.66.
That’s a very middling return from Cummins, especially when one considers how he has been nursed through the white-ball season to ensure that he can deliver maximum value at Test time.
Ryan Rickelton is the solution
The Proteas wicketkeeping conversation finally looks to have an answer. And the answer is Rickelton. While Kyle Verreynne has let nobody down (he boasts four centuries and three 50s) in his 32-game Test career, Rickelton is simply a better batsman.
There is little to choose between the two as glovemen with Rickelton having worked very hard in recent times to polish his skills behind the stumps.
He stood up to the wicket when Wiaan Mulder was bowling and did a very good job at Newlands. The big difference is that where Verreynne averages 22.09 in Tests, Rickelton averages 37.00. It is hard to look past that.
Marques Ackerman has a big future
He is certainly not a youngster as he is already on the wrong side of 30 but given the verve and energy, he brought to the mix since making his debut at St George’s Park, it is hard not to see a big future for Ackerman.
He looked very comfortable at the top of the order and although he failed on three occasions to turn excellent starts into three-figure scores, he nevertheless finished the series with an average of 54.33, the second highest across both teams with only Matt Renshaw ahead of him.
Shukri Conrad the unsung hero
Finally, you can’t comment on the series without making mention of Proteas coach Shukri Conrad. Along with Bavuma the duo makes for an incredible leadership core. They know what they want and they know how they plan to get it.
They are firm yet flexible and they have an uncanny ability of being able to get the best out of their players. While doing commentary duty on SuperSport, Graeme Smith recounted a conversation he had with Rickelton at the end of play on day three.
Rickelton reportedly asked Conrad if there were plans to send in a nightwatchman should a wicket fall in the final overs.
Conrad reportedly replied: ‘No. You are paid to bat; you get out there.’ Rickelton duly found himself heading out to the middle to start a knock that would go on to reach three-figures and take the game away from Australia.
For players, knowing where you stand and what is expected of you is critically important.
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