FILE - Proteas’ Wiaan Mulder, left, is pictured next to Temba Bavuma during their Test series in the West Indies. Mulder is one of two all-rounder in the Proteas team for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban. FILE - Proteas’ Wiaan Mulder, left, is pictured next to Temba Bavuma during their Test series in the West Indies. Mulder is one of two all-rounder in the Proteas team for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP)
The Proteas will stack their team with plenty of seam bowling options and all-rounders that significantly lengthens their batting order for the first Test against Sri Lanka.
The two teams battle it out in the first match of their two-Test series in Durban from Wednesday with places in the ICC Test Championship final still up for grabs.
The Proteas are coming off a successful 2-0 win over Bangladesh, recording their first victory in Asia since 2014. They have been boosted by return of seamers Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen, who were busy with a conditioning program ahead of the home summer, which also include two Test matches against Pakistan.
Both were included in the team for Kingsmead, and they will form a four-pronged pace attack with Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder, who impressed during the tour of Bangladesh with bat and ball.
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Keshav Maharaj is the only spinner in the team, although opener Aiden Markram can also chip in with his off-spinners.
The inclusion of both Mulder and Jansen will see the Proteas bat quite deep, with Gerald Coetzee, who hit a few lusty blows in the T20 series against India, coming in at No 9.
Mulder is fresh off a maiden Test century against Bangladesh and will be feeling really confident going into the series.
Captain Temba Bavuma, who himself is back in the team after an elbow injury, seemed to indicate that the rain, which is predicted for Wednesday, played a part in them picking four seamers for the match.
“From a seam point of view we are quite confident they can do the job. If there is a need for a second spinner, we do have Aiden as well,” Bavuma said on Tuesday after announcing the team
“Looking at the wicket, if it does spin, it will probably be at the end of the game. Considering the weather, we think the seamers will come into play.”
The Proteas need to win three of their remaining four Tests in this cycle against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home to be sure about a place in the final.
However, they have lost a two-Test series to Sri Lanka at home the last time the teams met in South Africa and will be wary of their opponents, who are also still in the running for a Test Championship final berth.
"I believe the team is as ready as it can be. We had a good camp last week. There is a lot of excitement amongst the group and with four games left in our Test Championship, every game is as important as the final will be," said Bavuma.
"The guys are ready and excited. I'm excited to be back within the team again and we should be seeing some good stuff from the guys.
"They (Sri Lanka) have been playing very good cricket. For us, as a team, we know that we're going to have to be at our best."
Aiden Markam, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wicket-keeper), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada.
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