Cricket
Exclusive: Russell Domingo on how the Proteas can bounce back in the WTC from Dhaka
Domingo, a respected international coach who has worked with both South Africa and Bangladesh, backed the decision to play right-arm off-spinner Dane Piedt alongside slow left-arm Keshav Maharaj to reap benefits against the left-handed batters of Bangladesh.
Russell Domingo//Getty Images
South Africa is consistent in the white-ball format having reached the semifinal of the ODI World Cup, and the final of the T20 World Cup. And now, the players will be keen on having a crack at the World Test Championship final as they have five Test matches remaining in the ongoing cycle.
India (68.06), Australia (62.50), Sri Lanka (55.56) and New Zealand (44.44) are currently in the top four, while South Africa stands sixth with a PCT of 38.89. The Indians are playing the Kiwis in a three-match home series before they fly to Australia in November. Sri Lanka will travel to South Africa after the Proteas' tour of Bangladesh which started in Dhaka, Mirpur on Monday.
The second Test starts October 29 in Chattogram
Former Proteas coach Russell Domingo, who also coached Bangladesh for three years, assessed how South Africa can climb up in the WTC table. He threw light on how the presence of world-class bowlers like Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada makes a difference.
South Africa will be competitive against Bangladesh. They have come off a win in the West Indies [in August]. And they have Maharaj, who is probably one of the best spinners in the world at the moment. It will be a tough series. The big game will be Dhaka as Chittagong mostly has flat wickets.
"When bowlers like Maharaj, Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and batters like Aiden Markram come together, they are a team to beat," Domingo told SportsBoom.com on the sidelines of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa.
Nortje, however, did not get picked for this tour. Cricket South Africa decided to rest Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen who are on their last lap to recover after picking up injuries earlier this year.
How SA can do it in Mirpur
Bangladesh have often struggled in Mirpur. In the last Test, against New Zealand which it lost, spinners Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner ripped through their batting department. It was no different on Monday morning when left-arm spinner Maharaj (3/34), and speedsters Rabada (3/26) and Wiaan Mulder (3/22) shared nine wickets as the Proteas dismissed Bangladesh for 106 and ended the day at 140/6.
Domingo is hopeful that South Africa will earn 24 points from the series before hosting Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home. Plus, Bangladesh may need time to settle under new coach Phil Simmons who arrived after the dramatic sacking of Chandika Hathurusingha before the start of the two-match Test series. "Mirpur could present a good opportunity for South Africa. At times, Bangladesh has struggled under those conditions, and they have a new coach now too," he said.
The lethal combination of Maharaj and Piedt
The 50-year-old backed the decision to go with the combination of Maharaj and right-arm off-spinner Dane Piedt. "It is good they are playing Piedt and Maharaj. Markram [off-spinner] could be the third spin option. They have a lot of left-handers like Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque, so the third spinner ought to be a right-arm off-break bowler," said Domingo.
Piedt (1/19) removed Mahmudul Hasan Joy. He will be expected to play a bigger role in the second innings, and the remainder of the series.
South Africa only won two Tests and lost three out of six in the new WTC cycle. They drew 1-1 with India at home, won 1-0 at West Indies and lost to New Zealand 2-0 away.
Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya is a cricket journalist based in India who takes a keen interest in stories that unfold on and off the field. His expertise lies in news writing, features and profiles, interviews, stats, and numbers-driven stories. He has also worked as a podcaster and talk show host on cricket-related shows on YouTube and Spotify.