South Africa vs India: Four players released from the Proteas squad

Team South Africa have released four of their players from the current Test squad. The Proteas are currently engaged in a 3-match Test series against the visiting Indian side. The second Test of the series is in progress at the moment at Centurion. With a good half-a-week gap between the second and the third Test, the team management decided to leave out the benched players to participate in the domestic competition in the meantime.

The four players who have been released from the squad are Temba Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo, Duanne Olivier, and Chris Morris. Among the lot, there is a lot of sympathy going in the corner of Bavuma. Bavuma had made the middle-order spot in team South Africa his own in the past year or so. He had replaced AB de Villiers in the lineup.

However, with AB de Villiers now making a comeback, it became tough for team South Africa to accommodate Bavuma in the playing eleven. The bright spot for Bavuma in his short Test career thus far has been the home series against England in 2016-17 season. His solitary Test ton had come in that series at the Newlands. The talented batsman is now set to play for the Cape Cobras in the domestic competition.

Chance for Bavuma in final Test?

This, however, does not rule him out from the final Test of the series though. The final Test of the series against India will be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. The match commences on January 24 and it is being expected that the track at the Wanderers with be a bowlers’ paradise.

Amidst this backdrop, it is being speculated that the Proteas could go in with an extra batsman. Also, the fact that Quinton de Kock has been struggling to get runs in the middle-order only adds weight to the inclusion of Bavuma in the side.

Meanwhile, the other three released players – Andile Phehlukwayo, Duanne Olivier, and Chris Morris – do not stand much chance of getting a go in the series considering the winning combination of the South African side.

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