Published: Oct 05, 2013, 08:38 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 20, 2014, 12:58 AM (IST)
JP Duminy’s return to fitness and form could not have been better timed for the Proteas © Getty Images
After spending six months off the field due to an Achilles tendon injury in a freak training practice mishap in November 2012, Jean-Paul Duminy made a successful return to the One-Day International (ODI) side during the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 as well as South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka that followed. As South Africa embark on their first Test assignment since February 2013 — to face Pakistan in UAE — Duminy is most likely to be restored in the Test side. Prakash Govindasreenivasan argues why that will help the Proteas in the sub-continent-like conditions.
As many as eleven months after last playing Test cricket, Graeme Smith’s South Africa will take the field to feature in a five-day encounter again when they take on Pakistan in the latter’s ‘home’ series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Much to the relief of the Proteas, skipper Smith has regained full fitness after missing a host of tournaments, including the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, due to an ankle injury. While his return does boost the South African batting line-up who could have their task cut out in UAE, it would not be wise to put the onus of performance on the southpaw entirely.
In such a scenario, JP Duminy’s return to fitness and form could not have been better timed. A closer look at his Test career so far would suggest that the man has not let a single opportunity go by without stamping his authority.
Despite making his ODI debut in 2004, a strong batting line-up meant Duminy had to push harder to break into the Test side. When he did finally get a chance, he was batting on the Perth wicket against the likes of Peter Siddle, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. The true test of his character came when he walked out to bat on the final day with the score on 303 for four and his side still needing 111 runs to pull off a memorable win. His 119-ball 50 proved that Duminy was more than just an aggressive batsman. There were traces of a typical middle-order batsman who can participate in long partnerships.
If this was not enough, Duminy followed up with a stroke-filled essay of 166 that changed the course of a game that Australia would have thought they had under control. The left-hander exuded great confidence as he soldered on despite Australian bowlers chipping away at the wickets at the other end. A 180-run partnership with Dale Steyn gave South Africa an unexpected first-innings lead and paved the way for a series win.
Yet, a couple of years later, Duminy found himself on the sidelines again. This time, it was due to his indifferent form that he carried through the home series against England in 2009 and to India in 2010. Two years later, when he returned to face New Zealand at Wellington, he began with a century. The return was promising but the training injury put his Test career in jeopardy.
In Duminy’s absence, Faf du Plessis made a sensational match-saving debut against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2012 and has cemented his spot in the middle-order. With Duminy’s injury leaving him out for a long period of time, the selectors also turned to Dean Elgar who was a like-for-like replacement in the Test line-up.
With Elgar and Duminy both offering a little extra as part-time spin bowling options, the South African selectors may have to pick between the two. Going purely by numbers and reputation, Duminy is likely to get a nod ahead of Elgar. Whether he can make another impactful return to the side remains to be seen.
(Prakash Govindasreenivasan is a reporter with CricketCountry. His Twitter handle is @PrakashG_89)
