Proteas v Australia: Six key players to watch in three-match Test series
· Citizen
The three-match Test series between South Africa and Australia gets under way at Kingsmead on Friday, renewing one of the greatest rivalries in the global game.
We take a look at three key players from each team who could make a significant impact throughout the series.
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South Africa
Temba Bavuma
The skipper has played a crucial role in recent years, leading from the front with his consistent form.
In the last 10 Tests he has played, Bavuma has hit three centuries and six half-centuries.
He has previously played nine Tests against Australia, making multiple valuable contributions in those games including four fifties, and his experience against the tourists will be key.
If he can help lay solid foundations at the top of the order, it will build confidence through the rest of the line-up, and it will go a long way towards the Proteas emerging triumphant from the series.
Keshav Maharaj
With spin friendly conditions expected in the first couple of games, the hosts will turn to Maharaj to carry much of the workload along with the other slow bowlers in the squad.
Like Bavuma, he is one of the most experienced members of the national squad, and the skipper is likely to turn to him as a senior player whose opinions and advice on field placings and strategies will be useful.
Not only will he be expected to help them push through tough sessions, but the Proteas are also likely to look to Maharaj to break partnerships and put the tourists under pressure.
Marco Jansen
With a few seam bowlers sidelined by injury, and Kagiso Rabada having struggled with a hamstring niggle in the build-up, Jansen will be eager to shine in the frontline attack.
With 21 Test caps, 26-year-old Jansen is not as experienced as some of the other members of the squad, but he has become a crucial member of the side in recent years.
Aside from his ability with the ball, he also adds value as a genuine all-rounder, and the Proteas will be hoping he can help keep the tail wagging and put additional pressure on the opposition down the order.
Australia
Steve Smith
The Proteas will be wary of Smith, and their conversations in the build-up to the series will no doubt have included strategies in trying to contain the top-order batter.
Smith has played 125 Tests, and with an average of 56.00, he is one of the most feared batters in the world, particularly in the five-day format.
As a part-time spinner he could also provide some depth in Australia’s attack if they need him to bowl some overs, but it will be his contribution with the bat where they will be hoping he makes a real impact.
Nathan Lyon
Another player with an impressive career record, the 38-year-old spinner is a Test specialist who will play an important role for his team.
Like Maharaj for the Proteas, Lyon will probably need to carry a significant amount of the workload, and the tourists will hope he also makes an impact as a strike bowler if the pitches are turning and partnerships need to be broken.
When Australia last played a Test series in South Africa in 2018, Lyon took 16 wickets in four matches, and he will be eager to shine for them again over the next few weeks.
Mitchell Starc
The veteran pace bowler has played 107 Tests, and his influence could be crucial both on and off the field.
He has played 10 Tests against South Africa, and he took 12 wickets in three games when Australia last played a Test series here eight years ago, and his knowledge of the opposition and the conditions means captain Pat Cummins is likely to be turning to him for advice.
Starc has also hit three half-centuries in his last 11 Tests, and though he might not be considered a genuine all-rounder, his ability to hold a bat could prove useful to his team.