Stuart Hess at Imperial Wanderers
Johannesburg - Duanne Olivier made his return to the Proteas Test side for the first time in three years, while Virat Kohli won’t start for India with their captain for the second Test, KL Rahul. winning the toss and choosing to bat on a bright and warm morning here on Monday.
Rahula said that Kohli’s absence was because of a back spasm, with Hanuma Vihari starting. It means Kohli’s 100th Test will no longer be in Cape Town.
Olivier last played for South Africa in 2019 against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha and then took up a Kolpak contract with Yorkshire, which because of Cricket SA’s protocols prohibited him from playing for the Proteas. With Kolpak falling away following Brexit, Olivier, 29, qualifies as an international player for Yorkshire and is eligible to return to the Proteas.
He busted down the door to selection by taking 28 wickets at 11.10 for the Lions in the domestic Four-Day series this season.
Olivier starts instead of Wiaan Mulder, with the selectors choosing to back last week’s debutant, Marco Jansen to fulfill the seam-bowling all-rounder role. The only other change to the Proteas starting line-up was known before the series began, with Kyle Verreynne coming in for Quinton de Kock. The latter quit Test cricket following the 113-run defeat in the first Test citing the need to spend more time with his family. De Kock’s wife, Sasha is due to give birth to the couple’s first child in the coming days.
TEAMS
South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi
India: KL Rahul (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma
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