‘The real test will come now’ – Former South Africa captain warns West Indies spinners after Zimbabwe triumph

West Indies spinners Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie put on a bowling exhibition against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai defending a mammoth total of 254 but former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis believes the true examination for their spin duo is still to come.

Following a dominant outing against Zimbabwe with the bat by the Windies, left-arm spinners Hosein and Motie delivered clinical performances, picking up seven wickets between them. However, the former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has cautioned that tough challenges await them in the Super Eight stage.  

Defending the total, Hosein struck early blows in the powerplay and finished with figures of 3 for 28, including a crucial maiden over that saw him remove Brian Bennett and Ryan Burl while also tying down Sikandar Raza with dot deliveries.

Motie, introduced after the powerplay, was equally impressive. He dismissed Dion Myers in his first over and went on to claim 4 for 28. The left-arm spinner rattled Zimbabwe’s middle order, picking up back-to-back wickets of Raza and Tashinga Musekiwa in the 11th over.

While praising both bowlers, du Plessis emphasised that bowling against Zimbabwe, particularly after posting 254 on the board, is different from bowling against heavyweights like India and South Africa.

"I saw them in South Africa. And I have played a lot of cricket with and against both of them. Amazing spinners. If there's a little bit of something in the wicket, both of them [will exploit it]," du Plessis was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Du Plessis pointed out that the upcoming fixtures against India and South Africa will truly test their skill and adaptability, especially against batting units stacked with quality left-handers.

"But the test will come now when they play against a lot of lefties in India, how're they going to respond to that, and South Africa played both of them really well in South Africa," he concluded.

West Indies are on a roll at the T20 World Cup 2026, having won five matches on the trot, including their stunning 107-run victory against Zimbabwe. They will now face South Africa on February 26 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.