Bowling combination a headache for South Africa ahead of third Test

Bowling combination a headache for South Africa ahead of third Test

If South Africa's brains trust are looking for tips as they contemplate taking four seamers into the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers, they could do worse than take advice from Stephen Cook. The opening batsman grew up on the grass banks here watching his father in action, has played his whole career at the ground with the Lions, and captained his franchise for the better part of three seasons before his call-up to the Proteas team.

South Africa have taken four pace bowlers into all seven Tests at the Wanderers in the past 10 years, although the presence of Jacques Kallis as the fourth seamer allowed them to play a spinner in most cases. In the only Test at the venue since Kallis' retirement, South Africa played an all-seam attack against England last year. They lost inside three days after Stuart Broad's 6 for 17 rolled them for 83 in the second innings, highlighting just how much was on offer for the fast bowlers.

Ahead of the final Test against Sri Lanka, the Proteas face a dilemma as to whether they should add both Wayne Parnell and Duanne Olivier to a four-man pace attack, or retain left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

"In every home game for the Lions, this becomes a half-hour talking point in our selection meetings," Cook said on Tuesday (January 10). "Generally spin has been fairly ineffective at taking wickets but it has been used quite effectively to contain. Someone like Keshav who has shown his ability to contain could do that job and allow the quicks to really come in hard at the other end. If he doesn't take wickets, he gets them for the other seamers although there have been times when we have gone in with all seamers.

"It can be a high-risk strategy because you can't get that change of pace and it can seem quite light in your attack. Whichever way you go, you are not wrong. I like my quick bowlers at the Wanderers. If it was my attack, I would go four quicks. But Keshav has done a great job so I don't want to take anything away from that."

South Africa are likely to wait until at least Wednesday evening to make a call given the changeable weather around Johannesburg. Heavy rain over the weekend forced groundsman Bethuel Buthelezi to prepare the pitch under a tent, but the sun shone for parts of Monday and Tuesday and the surface was looking much less green by Tuesday afternoon. But thunderstorms are forecast throughout the Test, and humid weather would help the ball swing throughout.

"I will keep grass on the pitch and there will be bounce and carry, but there won't be as much in the wicket as there was for Broad," Buthelezi said. "This will be a wicket that will offer run-scoring opportunities."

Cook's assertion that South Africa cannot go wrong regardless of what they decide was backed up by his assessment of Olivier, a bowler he has faced at franchise level for several seasons. "He's really effective in South African conditions," said Cook. "He bowls at pace and has a good bouncer, but he also bowls that fuller length and I think we've seen over the course of this series how effective the fuller length can be because it gives the ball a chance to move. That's how he's been effective - he's driven the batsman onto the back foot with his pace, and then got the ball up there to get his wickets.

"I've been impressed. He played against us here for the Knights last year, and played quite a big role in them beating us. When I captained the A side over the winter he was in our attack and I was most impressed by his attitude. He's one of those bowlers who keeps coming back for more, and always asks for one more over because he thinks he can get that extra wicket," Cook said.