Linde positive Proteas will pull off second Test win against Pakistan

George Linde may be playing just his sixth game for the Proteas but the 29-year-old spin bowling all-rounder is rapidly establishing himself as a resident tough guy in the team.

Left-arm spinner Linde has brushed off the ill-fortune of taking a fierce blow to the little finger on his bowling hand after bowling just 17 deliveries in the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, and on Saturday he was outstanding with the ball taking three for 12 in nine overs as South Africa reduced Pakistan to 129 for six in their second innings, giving the visitors a sniff of levelling the two-match series.

Linde revealed after play on Saturday just how bad his injury was when he was struck on the finger by a powerful drive by Babar Azam, and he also said he was confident the Proteas will be able to chase down 270 in the final innings. Pakistan’s lead is currently 200 with four wickets remaining.

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“I thought my season was done when I saw the bone in my pinkie finger sticking out. I ran straight off the field when I saw that and popped the bone back in on the way,” Linde said.

“I had stitches and then some scans and I’m just lucky that it wasn’t broken. The physios and the doctor have been awesome, and the finger has been okay actually. I’ve just needed a small adjustment to my grip.

“You don’t know when you’re next going to get the opportunity to play for your country so I’m not going to let it get me down. It’s just some pain I have to deal with, it’s nothing much compared to people being out of work or dying back home because of Covid.

“So it’s not a lot to put up with my injury, I’m playing for my country and I won’t stand back for anything. You have maybe 10 minutes of pain, get an injection and carry on.”

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South Africa disappointed once again on the second afternoon and on Saturday with their ill-judged batting, taking their overnight score of 106 for four to just 201 all out, giving Pakistan a first-innings lead of 71. Linde is confident the Proteas can make up that deficit though.

“They bowled well in the first innings but I’m sure the batsmen have their game-plans for tomorrow and I’m pretty confident we can get over the line.

“Some balls are keeping low, there’ve been a couple of up-and-down deliveries, but I still believe we have good game-plans. Maybe there have been some technical issues, but chasing anything under 300 – we’ll take it,” Linde, who scored a quickfire 21, said.

“Hopefully we’ll be chasing less than 250 but even 270 is realistic and I’m pretty confident we can chase that. We have a very good chance to win if we can take the last four wickets quickly in the morning, we do that and we’re certainly deep back in the game. I’m positive we’ll take it – the team is very hungry to level the series.”

The Cape Cobras star is part of an encouraging growth in South Africa’s spin-bowling depth and he was very impressive on Saturday, bowling accurately as he quickly settled on a line and length, and getting the ball to bounce awkwardly out of the footmarks. Now playing in his third Test, to go with three T20 internationals, Linde has taken seven Test wickets at an average of 28.57.

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