Spin bowler Keshav Maharaj missed the first match of the series while recovering from injury.
South Africa are confident of drawing the two-match Test series against Pakistan, with their spin arsenal boosted by experienced bowler Keshav Maharaj for the second game which gets underway today (7am start).
In the first match in Lahore last week, 34 of the 40 wickets that fell were taken by spin bowlers, and Proteas captain Aiden Markram said they were expecting similar conditions in Rawalpindi.
He believed they had learned enough from the first fixture, which they lost by 93 runs, to bounce back.
“The wicket looks pretty good to the eye – I had a brief look at it this morning – but we’re expecting it to spin,” Markram said yesterday.
“We’ve expected these types of conditions from day one and it’s about us having done some homework post that first game and coming up with some plans to hopefully counter that and give ourselves a chance of succeeding in these conditions.
“We’re excited at the opportunity and really hoping we show some good improvements and can put up a good fight.”
Maharaj to lead attack
In the absence of Maharaj, who missed the series opener due to a groin injury, South Africa’s bowling attack was led by Senuran Muthusamy, who grabbed 11 scalps to secure his first 10-wicket haul in a Test.
And while they also had the services of Simon Harmer and Prenelan Subrayen, Markram confirmed Maharaj was fit and ready, and he was expected to lead the attack in Rawalpindi.
With 59 Tests under his belt, Maharaj had more experience than all the other specialist spinners in the squad combined, with Muthusamy, Subrayen and Harmer having played 19 Test matches between them.
“It’s obviously great to have him back in the camp. He brings lots of experience and a really good skill set as well,” said Markram, standing in for injured regular skipper Temba Bavuma.
“He (Maharaj) passed all his fitness tests and travelled here safely and smoothly, and he’s been bowling well in the nets, so he’s good to go and seems in a really good space.”
Markram felt it was a chance for the defending champions to not only hit back in the early stages of the new World Test Championship cycle, but also to prove they could compete in tough conditions suited to slow bowlers.
“It’s an opportunity for us to level the series, but also to keep improving in these conditions and fixing some of the stuff we feel needs fixing from the first game.”
