Proteas can learn from New Zealand's spinners

Dane Piedt and Keshav Maharaj could replicate William Somerville and Ajaz Patel’s brilliant showing of spin bowling in the sub-continent, writes Ongama Gcwabe.

The recently concluded 2018/19 season saw thirty-five Test matches played – 16 of those Test matches were played in the sub-continent/Asia, which serves as evidence of an increase in matches played in the sub-continent/Asia.

Through dominant performances at home, the sub-continent teams have almost forced the other Test-playing countries to take initiative and to invent methods to counter this.

As a result, Cricket South Africa has initiated India spinning camps, as an effort to keep our spinning talent healthy for sub-continent tours.

There is no better opportunity to test the effectiveness of these spinning camps for the Proteas than the tour to India.

Kane Williamson and his troops are facing a similar challenge in Sri Lanka. The first Test of their series was dominated by spinners, as we all expected it to, with the spinners taking 23 of the 34 wickets at Galle Cricket Stadium.

The Sri Lankan spinners, Akila Dananjaya, Dhananjaya de Silva and Lasith Embuldeniya were on the money as expected, but what had many surprised was the way the visitor’s spinners went about their business in these foreign conditions.

The way Patel and Somerville went about their business is something that the Proteas spinning duo of Dane Piedt and Keshav Maharaj could replicate against India.

Patel was playing his sixth game while Somerville was playing only his second game, but the maturity and calmness that they showed is something that the Kiwis’ will mark as a positive despite their six-wicket loss.

Somerville and Patel stuck to disciplined lines and lengths that eventually led them to take 10 of the 14 Sri Lanka wickets that fell in the match. The two spinners kept the Kiwis’ in the game as they continued to bowl with intent and precision.

Their performance is something that we hope that our spinners will be able to replicate, especially with Piedt, who has been given another crack at India.

As we build-up to the Test series between India and the Proteas, Dane Piedt has not shied away from the fact that he wants to try and rectify what transpired in India four years ago when they went down 3-0 to the hosts.

In an interview with Cricket Fanatics Magazine, he mentioned that he wanted to “fix” what happened in India four years ago, he has a perfect opportunity to deliver for us in this upcoming series.