FILE - Proteas captain Aiden Markram plays a shot during the first Test against Bangladesh. Markram hopes the top six batters can come to the party in the second Test in Chattogram. FILE - Proteas captain Aiden Markram plays a shot during the first Test against Bangladesh. Markram hopes the top six batters can come to the party in the second Test in Chattogram. Picture: Tanvin Tamim / AFP
There is more than just a series victory on the line when the Proteas take on Bangladesh in the second Test in Chattogram from Tuesday (6am start).
After the win in the Test against Bangladesh, and India and England suffering defeats against New Zealand and Pakistan respectively, the Proteas have a real shot at making the ICC World Test Championship final.
The Proteas need to win four of their remaining five Tests in the cycle to qualify for the showpiece match, which will be played at Lord’s in England in June next year.
After the series against Bangladesh, the Proteas host Sri Lanka in November and December for a two-Test series, before taking on Pakistan in the traditional Boxing Day and New Years Test slots.
That leaves little margin for error for the Proteas, but stand-in captain Aiden Markram say this does not add pressure on the team ahead of Tuesday’s series finale against Bangladesh.
“I don’t think it adds any extra pressure on us, it is just an exciting opportunity for us and that is how we are trying to view it,” Markram told the media from Bangladesh on Monday.
“You still need to win a lot of the remaining games of cricket and we have five left until we know our fate. Five Test matches mean there is a lot of cricket still to be played.
“If we can go session by session and game by game, we then give ourselves the best chance.”
The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram is known for its high-scoring matches, as the pitch is a lot more conducive to stroke-play than the one they encountered in Dhaka.
Sri Lanka scored over 500 runs in the first innings of their 192-run win over the the Bangladesh in March, while India also belted over 400 runs against the hosts in December 2022. In 2021, The West Indies scored a mammoth 395/7 in their second innings to beat Bangladesh.
The Proteas also have fond memories of the stadium. In 2008, Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie both scored double centuries in a record 415 opening stand, before Dale Steyn finished with seven wickets in the innings and 205-run win.
Markram said on Monday they will assess the conditions, but hopes that the pitch is as good for batting as the nets they have used at the venue.
The favourable batting conditions could see the Proteas pick an extra bowler after they went onto the first Test with a four-man attack - two seamers and two spinners.
Seamer Dane Paterson or left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy could get the nod ahead of one of the batsman, possibly Test rookie Matthew Breetzke.
“We haven’t seen the pitch yet. We will have a look at it and try workout what we can expect. Just based on the nets, there is a slightly truer bounce and a bit of pace,” Markram said.
“We’ll have a look at the wicket now and come to some conclusions about the team. I’m assuming it will be slightly different to Dhaka.”
Batting big and batting once could the key to victory in the second Test. But that to happen the Proteas’ top six need to come to the party after many players again failed to convert their starts in the first Test.
Only wicket-keeper batsman Kyle Verreynne managed to get to a century in Dhaka, while all-rounder Wiaan Mulder chipped in with a valuable half-century.
“Each batter in their own individual manner need to back their strengths and find a way to put the Bangladesh bowlers under some pressure,” Markram added.
“We’ll have to assess how the wicket plays, looking at our options. Ultimately all you can do is back your strengths and those options.
“The top six are really hungry to contribute. Starting tomorrow, hopefully we can put our best foot forward.”
@JohnGoliath82