Kwena Maphaka in line for Test debut as Proteas test their depth

While they are missing a handful of seam bowlers due to injuries, Proteas assistant coach Piet Botha is eager to test the squad’s depth when they face Sri Lanka in the second of two Tests in Gqeberha starting on Thursday.

Already without Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger, who were unavailable for selection, the SA team lost all-rounder Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) and Gerald Coetzee (groin muscle strain) after they picked up injuries during the Proteas’ 233-run victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban last week.

“It’s obviously very sad for the guys who are missing out but injuries are part of the game, so we generally prepare for those things,” said Botha, the squad’s bowling coach.

“We will delve into our depth and I think we’ve got suitable replacements.”

Multiple options

Though Mulder was replaced by batter Matthew Breetzke in the squad ahead of the second Test, Coetzee was replaced by uncapped teenager Kwena Maphaka, who could make his Test debut.

It remained unclear, however, whether 18-year-old Maphaka would play ahead of fellow seamer Dane Paterson, or whether an additional spin bowler (Senuran Muthusamy) would be more useful.

With multiple options available, Botha said they would decide on the attack once they had a chance to assess the conditions in Gqeberha. But he was confident that they would have a bowling unit that could take 20 wickets.

“In terms of our bowling depth, we do have a couple of injuries, but it gives opportunities to certain individuals, and it gives us a bigger picture at the end of the day of what we’ve got,” he said.

Test Championship battle

The Proteas need to win this week’s match, as well as their next two against Pakistan, in order to ensure themselves a spot in next year’s World Test Championship final.

And while he admitted they did have one eye on that potential fixture, Botha insisted they were focussing on one session at a time.

“It’s always good to have that sort of goal in the back of your head, but our philosophy and our method is just to make sure that we understand we have to take these games session by session,” he said.

“That’s how we focus, just playing the game in the present moment and making sure we do the small things right, retain our discipline and make sure we respect where we are every time we go out on the field.

“Nothing is just going to come our way and we have to work for it every day. That’s our mental approach and the team does it very well.”

The first day’s play in the second Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka starts at 10.30am on Thursday morning at St George’s Park.