The Proteas will formally kick off a new era in South African cricket when they face West Indies in the first Test at SuperSport Park, in Centurion on Tuesday (February 28). Temba Bavuma will take the reins for the first time as captain with Shukri Conrad heading the hosts as red-ball coach for the two-game sequence, the final assignment for the home side in their 2021-2023 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
The Proteas are fourth in those rankings having been in the top three for most of the competition, although they are now officially out of the running to reach the June final. Nonetheless, they still have plenty to look forward to under the new leadership group and plenty of new faces in a strong squad for the series. “I think it’s exciting times for all the guys involved. It’s the start of a new journey. We’d like to start with a clean slate and really go out there playing the way we want to play,” said Bavuma in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
“I think you’re going to hear me saying that a lot, how we want to go about our business. That’s the exciting part. I’d like to see how it all looks on the field of play. We come into the series against the West Indies wanting to win the series and that is what we’ll be aiming to do,” he added.
The batting ranks have been bolstered by the return of Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen and Ryan Rickelton, while Tony de Zorzi is also in the mix after an outstanding domestic season thus far. The bowling too has plenty of fresh options including the recalling of Senuran Muthusamy, Wiaan Mulder and the uncapped Gerald Coetzee.
South Africa vs West Indies 1st Test Details
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Date & Time: February 28-March 4, 130pm IST onwards
Live Streaming and TV details: Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv website and app.
SA vs WI 1st Test Dream11 Prediction
Wicketkeeper: Joshua da Silva
Batters: Dean Elgar, Kraigg Brathwaite, Tagenarine Chanderpaul
All-rounders: Marco Jansen, Roston Chase, Jason Holder
Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Alzarri Joseph
Captain: Alzarri Joseph
Vice-captain: Keshav Maharaj
SA vs WI 1st Test Predicted 11
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma (C), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Heinrich Klaasen, Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Jermaine Blackwood, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Raymon Reifer, Joshua Da Silva, G Moti-Kanhai, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph
