Dane Paterson, jo pichle season mein apni swing bowling se sabko impress kar chuke the, unhe team se bahar rakha gaya. Iske bajay, Lungi Ngidi, jo August 2024 ke baad se koi Test match nahi khele, unhe shamil kiya gaya. Yeh faisla sunke kai fans aur experts ke man mein sawal utha ki kya yeh sahi kadam tha? Paterson ne to apne akhri do Test matches mein, Sri Lanka aur Pakistan ke khilaf, five-wicket hauls lekar dikha diya tha ki woh form mein hain. Phir bhi, unhe bench par bithana thoda sa dil dukha deta hai, khaas kar jab baat Lord’s ke iconic ground ki ho, jahan South Africa ka record shandaar raha hai.
Lekin Bavuma ka yeh faisla sirf impulse par nahi liya gaya. Unhone press conference mein bataya ki yeh ek taktiki kadam tha. Ngidi ki height (1.93 meters) aur pace Paterson (1.75 meters) se zyada hai, jo Lord’s ke dry pitch par kaam aa sakti hai. Ngidi ka experience bhi unke favour mein gaya—19 Tests mein 55 wickets, jismein 2022 mein Lord’s par hi Joe Root ka wicket shamil hai. Bavuma ne yeh bhi kaha ki all-rounder Wiaan Mulder ka role Paterson jaisa hi hai, jo bowling ke saath thodi stability de sakta hai. Mulder ko No. 3 par batting ke liye chuna gaya, jo thoda risky hai kyunki unhone sirf do baar pehle is position par Test cricket khela hai. Lekin yeh faisla team ko balance deta hai, khaas kar batting line-up ko thodi gehrai dene ke liye.
Ab thodi baat South Africa ke perspective se. Yeh team hamesha se thodi underdog rahi hai jab baat Australia jaise strong team ke khilaf hoti hai. Australia, jo defending champions hain, apne star players—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon—ke saath ek powerhouse hai. Unka record bhi Lord’s par shandaar hai, 40 matches mein 18 jeet ke saath. Lekin South Africa ke pass bhi kuch kam nahi hai. Kagiso Rabada, jo ek decade se South Africa ke pace attack ka spearhead hain, Australia ke khilaf hamesha aggressive rahe hain. Unhone 18 innings mein 49 wickets liye hain, jismein Steve Smith aur Usman Khawaja jaise bade batsmen shamil hain. Yaad hai 2018 ka Sandpapergate series? Rabada ne wahan Australia ke top order ko tabaah kar diya tha. Marco Jansen aur Ngidi ke saath, yeh pace attack Australia ke batsmen ke liye bada khatra ho sakta hai.
Bavuma ka leadership bhi is match mein ek bada factor hoga. Woh pehla black African captain hain jinhone South Africa ke liye Test century banaya, aur unka recent form shandaar raha hai—pichle char Tests mein 500 se zyada runs. Unka yeh faisla Mulder ko No. 3 par khilana aur Ngidi ko team mein shamil karna, ek bold move hai, jo unke confidence ko dikhata hai. South Africa ne pichle 27 saalon mein sirf ek ICC trophy jeeta hai—1998 ka ICC Knockout Trophy. Is baar, Lord’s par, woh ek aur memorable moment banane ke liye taiyaar hain. Keshav Maharaj, jisko Bavuma ne “monster with the ball” kaha, unke spin bowling ke saath team ko ek alag edge mil sakta hai, khaas kar jab pitch spin ke liye favorable ho.
Lekin chinta ki baat yeh hai ki kya yeh gamble kaam karega? Mulder ka No. 3 par batting karna ek bada risk hai, jabki woh is position par abhi naye hain. Ngidi ka selection bhi thoda controversial hai kyunki Paterson ka recent form unhe ek safer choice banata tha. Australia ke bowling attack ke saamne, jismein Cummins aur Hazlewood jaise bowlers hain, South Africa ke batsmen ko lambi innings khelni hogi. Agar top order—Markram, Rickelton, ya Bavuma khud—jaldi out ho gaya, toh yeh taktiki faisla galat bhi sabit ho sakta hai. Lord’s ka pressure, Australia ka dominance, aur South Africa ka underdog status—yeh sab milkar ek tough challenge banata hai.
Phir bhi, South Africa ke fans ke liye yeh ek ummeed bhara moment hai. Bavuma ki team ne dikhaya hai ki woh bade mauke par lad sakte hain, jaise pichle saal Pakistan ke khilaf unki thrilling 2-wicket jeet ne dikhaaya. Ab dekhna yeh hai ki kya yeh team Lord’s ke sapne ko sach kar sakti hai, ya phir Australia ka dominance ek baar phir unhe hara dega.
References:
- Inside Sport India
- Cricxtasy
- Hindustan Times
- The Citizen
- cricket.com.au
- ICC Cricket
- News18
- Daily Maverick
- Newsday
- The Guardian
- The Times of India
- Sportstar
- Newsbytes
