SA vs Pak – 2nd Test – Secrets of Newlands pitch keeps Pakistan guessing on team combination

On By Littum

There is a fine line between maximum preparation and ignorance and Pakistan are trying to make sure they tread the right side of it. With less than 24 hours until the second Test, Pakistan are yet to name a final XI, wanting to gather as much information as possible about what the Newlands surface will do. But the later they leave it, the harder it is to make the case that the visitors have a side they will be familiar with heading into the game.
Captain Shan Masood admitted balancing the team was “tricky”. “We want to have one last look at the pitch,” he said. “Looks a bit different, less grass cover. South Africa have had the luxury of having a training session earlier than us. We want to take our time and see what the best possible XI is.”
Newland’s surface is under scrutiny after what happened in the previous Test played here. In the first Test for new groundsman Braam Mong, India beat South Africa in a game that lasted just under 100 overs. Fast bowlers dominated the game, with uneven bounce between bat and ball, with no spin bowled; the course received an “unsatisfactory” rating.
As this is the same groundsman’s second Test, interest in the nature of this streak is high on both sides, with Temba Bavuma half-jokingly told he “wasn’t allowed to talk about the pitch”. Over the past few days, a significant amount of grass has been removed from the strip that will see the test played, with heavy rollers passing over the surface several times.
Either way, South Africa have named their side and in comes spinner Keshav Maharaj. But it is a bit more complex for Pakistan. Pointing out that one of South Africa’s strengths was their seam bowling all-rounders and deep batting line-up, Masood said it went all the way down to “Rabada on 10”, after his heroics in the fourth innings in Centurion.

If Pakistan is going to play a specialist spinner, it will invariably come at the expense of a seam bowler. That leaves them with just three seamers, who Masood seemed reluctant to commit to.

“South Africa still have four seamers playing,” Masood said. “They have the luxury of quite a few all-rounders in the squad. Mulder, Jansen, Bosch, so they can afford to make those decisions. For us it will be a bit more difficult. We still feel that pace will play a big role in playing under those conditions There was a pattern that was successful for us where (Salman) Agha bowled really well in Australia and take that with us forward and we probably have to make a decision tonight.

“It’s encouraging to compete but we have to be ruthless and we have to cross that line somewhere. There’s a lot of potential in that side and if we don’t cross the line we’re not doing our talent and ability justice.”

Shan Masood wants his team to do more than just get into dominant positions in games

Further complicating matters, Aamer Jamal, who played the least significant role among the quicks in Centurion for Pakistan, is their only all-rounder, with Masood effectively confirming his place in the XI.

“Aamer ties the team together. He is a very important player in the Test team going forward. The No. 8 position where you can bat as a very decent batsman and bowl as a proper fast bowler. Unfortunately, the situation of the match was like that. Apart from his first spell in Centurion he didn’t really get a chance. He was brought on at a time when we just bet on something else, maybe hit the wicket and force Rabada or Jansen to do something. otherwise, that was the reason for it, but we hope he will bowl more on this surface.

This means whichever way Pakistan goes there will be compromises one way or the other. But Masood said Pakistan had taken heart from the way they competed against the “No 1” side in Test cricket. But as Pakistan have let go of a series of dominant positions over the last nine Tests, of which Pakistan have lost seven, he understands that faith in a side or system can crumble if results don’t come to back it up.

“You want to compete against the best and win against the best,” he said. “It’s encouraging to compete, but we have to be ruthless and we have to cross that line somewhere. There’s a lot of potential in that side and if we don’t cross the line, we’re not doing our talent and ability. Justice It’s only coming from a place of care, and yes, we all make mistakes and sometimes don’t cross that line, but I really believe that this side has the ability and people have seen that there is a lot more to this side than the results suggest.”

Moments after Pakistan finished training, the pitch was, unconventionally, given another heavy dose of irrigation under a hot sun. The staff then threw a white sheet over the strip and the two around it. The secrets behind this Newlands track remain hidden overnight, although even when it was exposed, few – especially in the Pakistan camp – seemed to really know what to expect from it.