Faf du Plessis to resume training to be fit in time for the 1st Test against Australia

South African captain Faf du Plessis hurt his finger in the 1st ODI against India which ruled him out of the remainder of the limited-overs tour against the visiting team. The Proteas suffered real bad in his absence and lost the ODI series by a humiliating margin of 5-1. However, the team management is less concerned about the ongoing affair and want to retain their reputation in the longer form when Australia fly in for a four-match Test series.

To be fit in time for the all-important series du Plessis will resume training on February 20. He has approximately a week in hand to regain fitness and be available for the first Test of the series that gets underway on March 1. The team manager is hopeful that their skipper will be able to make it in time to be a part of the squad for the initial match.

”He will start batting tomorrow (Tuesday) and we are hopeful he will come through that and be available to captain the team for the first test against Australia,” team manager Mohammed Moosajee was quoted as saying by Cricket South Africa in a release.

De Villiers and de Kock

It was not just du Plessis, their batting mainstay AB de Villiers also sustained finger injury which ruled him out of the first three ODIs, in the 6th match of the series that South Africa lost, AB once again hurt himself this time it was his knee. As a precautionary move, he has been kept out of the ongoing T20I series against India. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock could only last a couple of matches in the ODIs and injured his wrists that ruled him out from any further contests against the Men in Blue.

Both de Villiers and de Kock have recovered and will be available for the Australian challenge. The fourth player from the squad whose participation was hampered by injury Temba Bavuma is slated to play a club match on February 24 having recovered from a hand fracture, the level of fitness he displays in that match will determine his chances of playing the Test series.

Steyn is back!

However, their most experienced pacer and the man on the verge of history Dale Steyn’s participation isn’t certain yet. Steyn damaged his ligament during the first Test against India and has been rehabilitating since.

”He is doing his running training and also increasing his bowling intensity,“ Moosajee said. “He will in all likelihood feature in the series against Australia, but the CSA medical team will want him to play some form of cricket before a test match.”

Both South Africa and Steyn will be eager for him to qualify for the series as the pacer needs just two wickets to become the highest wicket-taker for the national team in Tests. He will also lend the pace bowling attack much-needed experience and direction that they desperately seek against Australia who’ve always managed to have a better of them in the Test series in South Africa since 1969-70.