Proteas focus on acclimatising as Bavuma misses warm-ups

In phase one of the Proteas’ World Cup campaign they face Afghanistan in a warm-up match in India on Friday where the priority will be to shake off the travel stiffness, get a first taste of conditions and build rhythm a week before their opening match.

SA will have to do so without skipper Temba Bavuma who has returned home for what was described as “family reasons”. The team hope to have Bavuma, who will also miss Monday’s second warm-up match against New Zealand, back in time for the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka in Delhi on Saturday week. 

In his absence Aiden Markram will captain the side while Reeza Hendricks will open the batting with Quinton de Kock. 

Though losing will be disappointing, the Proteas won’t be going full tilt in what is essentially a pair of glorified training sessions. They won’t want to create bad habits, however, and the confidence built up by coming back against Australia is also an element they won’t want to see ebb away by being sloppy against the always determined Afghans. 

Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, in the south of India, has hosted only two ODIs, with the home team earning dominant wins in both. SA’s only match there was a T20 International in 2022 when they were blown away by a devastating opening burst from swing bowler Arshdeep Singh that restricted the Proteas to 106/8.

Five players in the Proteas World Cup squad played in that match, but it is safe to assume the intensity of that encounter will far outstrip anything they will encounter on Friday.

It’s more a case of acclimatising to conditions, and while Thiruvananthapuram is nearly 3,000km from Delhi, the pace of the pitch will be the same as the one in the Indian capital when they start the tournament.

“It helps when you understand the conditions in the various grounds and having played in India for years gives you a familiarity on how to go about your tactics,” said Kagiso Rabada.

“Most of our team have played in India, but for those who haven’t as much it is important to share experiences. In India you have drier conditions and they are batter-friendly wickets, so it’s about finding ways to be successful.”

Rabada missed the last ODI against Australia with an ankle niggle and while he was pleased to get through that series, for him and the rest of the seam attack, making the adjustments to Indian surfaces where lines need to be straighter, will be a priority in the two warm-up matches.