Stubbs shows he has the mettle to settle at No 3 for Proteas

Shukri Conrad’s decision to hand the No 3 spot in the Test side to Tristan Stubbs earlier this year was met with furrowed brows across the country.

“But he’s a T20 player,” was the common refrain. Except Stubbs wasn’t and even if that was his preferred format, so what. Just like “Bazball” and run rates of five an over aren’t the only ways to win Test matches, so starting a career in the shortest format, doesn’t mean a player can’t succeed in the longest.

For the record, T20 is not Stubbs’ favourite format — that would be the 50-over game — but on Tuesday he gave a pretty good impression of being a Test No 3. His maiden century, which eventually finished with him scoring 106, contained all the necessary attributes associated with batters who occupy that position.

He showed the right temperament, was patient and his shot selection was precise.

“After lunch, I found it hard to get off strike, the ball was doing a bit, it was a good period for them. And then I just grafted it out, once I got the rhythm back again, I felt quite comfortable. To get the three figures was a big relief more than anything,” said Stubbs.

Whether Conrad was relieved is anyone’s guess for now. It was in Sri Lanka in 2023 during a tour by the SA A team, that Stubbs first indicated to the Proteas Test coach that he might be able to occupy the batting position historically regarded as the most important.

Stubbs spent nearly a day making a hundred against Sri Lanka A on a “dust bowl” in Colombo. The Grey High graduate would later make a triple hundred for Eastern Province to show his capacity for big scoring, but doing it in a Test match is a different matter.

Admittedly conditions at the ZA Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram were heavily favoured towards batters. South Africans have a great history in that coastal city, with three — Graeme Smith, Neil McKenzie and Jacques Rudolph — having made double centuries, while SA’s two highest Test partnerships have occurred there too.

“It was a good batting wicket but it was hard to score freely,” Stubbs admitted.

Bangladesh, again weighed down by off-field drama, made it difficult for Stubbs and fellow first-day centurion Tony de Zorzi to score, especially in the period after lunch.

They bowled more disciplined lines and both of their seamers, Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana got the ball to reverse, “just enough to get you thinking,” said Stubbs.

For an hour he had to defend stoutly, but seemed to relish blocking the ball.

He and De Zorzi were able to revert pressure back onto the hosts in the second half of the middle session — scoring 62 runs in 15 overs — and from there the Proteas were able to build towards a dominant first day, finishing on 307/2. De Zorzi will resume on Wednesday on 141 with David Bedingham on 18 for company.

“Tony was really calm, he was flowing nicely. I give huge credit to him,” said Stubbs.

“Straight after lunch he started cramping in his forearm and the mental strength to go through the whole day was unbelievable. We kept reminding each other not to take anything for granted. It was really enjoyable batting with him.”

Both swept well against the spinners, with Stubbs’ use of the reverse sweep, making what was once considered unorthodox for a Test, look perfectly conventional in the searing heat of Chattogram.

“Our game plan today was to use the sweep, but I wasn’t doing it well and the reverse sweep just felt better,” said Stubbs.

Batting for over four hours, in temperatures topping 30°C and humidity close to 70%, the examination was both physical and mental.

“In the last three months, I’ve been in the Caribbean where it was flippin hot, then the United Arab Emirates ... I’m, as much as you can, getting used to the heat.”

Some of the heat that would have been on his coach, will now ease too.

Conrad has very much stamped his own authority on this team, happy to give younger players such Stubbs and De Zorzi responsibility to usher in a new era for the Proteas in the Test format.