Rabada, Nigidi available for first Test against India; Confirms South Africa Coach Conrad
Both experienced pacers, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, have taken 280 and 51 wickets respectively for South Africa in Test cricket so far.
New Delhi: South Africa is hopeful that both fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will be available for selection in the first Test against India starting on Tuesday in Pretoria, coach Shukri Conrad has confirmed. India’s two Tests against South Africa will be played at Centurion from December 26 to 30 and in Cape Town from January 3 to 7, 2024.
Kagiso Rabada is struggling with a heel injury he suffered a few days ago, and Lungi Ngidi has an injured ankle. But Conard was optimistic about both pacers, saying they are still part of the squad and are also available for selection for the Boxing Day Test match on December 26.
“They are both here with us and that means that, as things stand, they are available for selection,” Conrad told reporters on Saturday.
“We haven’t called anyone up as a substitute and hopefully we’ll have 15 fit players to choose from the morning of the match,” coach Conrad said.
The South African coach also talked about 23-year-old fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, who put in an impressive run at the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup in India. Conard said he is a baby in test cricket but he is phenomenal every time he steps on the field, no matter what format he plays.
“He’s still a baby in Test cricket. Every time he took the field he was phenomenal, whether it was with the white ball in his hand or with the red one. This is just going to be the next step,” Conrad said.
Coetzee has taken nine wickets in the two Tests he has played so far, against the West Indies earlier this year. “He brings aggression, he brings something that we as South Africans have always been proud of, which is speed.” Added South African coach.
“He brings all these elements and hopefully with the experience he gains in the (T20) competitions and playing for South Africa with the white and red ball, he can lead our bowling attack in a few years,” Conard added. said.
The last time India played a Test series in South Africa was in December 2021-January 2022. Back then, India won the first Test in Centurion, before South Africa bounced back to win matches in Johannesburg and Cape Town to ultimately claim the series 2. -1. In response, Conrad says his party is desperate to maintain its reputation by having never lost to the tourists on home soil.
“If it was possible to make this bigger, it would be the fact that India has never won here. “We certainly want to maintain that proud record and make sure that doesn’t happen,” he said
“There are so many matchups that this series is all about. It’s two tests, so it’s a high-pressure test. You’re down 1-0 and you can’t win the series. If you’re 1-0 ahead, you can’t lose. It will be like a heavyweight boxing fight,” Conard concluded.