THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: IT’S been a couple of months since #Proteafire was snuffed out on English soil. Two of their greats have walked off into the sunset. One of those legends could still have been terrorising batsmen, had his shoulder listened to the prayers of everyone in South Africa. And now they are in India, up against a team that’s just finished wiping the grounds of Caribbean with its
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It’s not like South Africa don’t have the men to make a fist of things, especially with the ball. The Kagiso Rabada-Jasprit Bumrah showdown has been plastered across pretty much all dailies and websites. Vernon Philander may not be able to yoyo the ball around like he does back home, but he’s still a handful. Anrich Nortje is as fast as they get. And then, there’s Lungisani Ngidi.
In a way, Ngidi’s budding career seems to be mirroring that of his team’s spearhead: Impressive in T20Is. Fast-tracked to the longest format. Made life hell for India batsmen soon after.Heck, they’re similar in their physicality too, be it in terms of age (Ngidi 23 and Rabada 24) or build (towering over others). Both impose when they load up at the crease. Both have searing pace. Both have enough — not to mention impressive — recent IPL experience. And both will shoulder the strike-bowling responsibilities for the Proteas.
The first unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A — started at Greenfield International Stadium on Monday — has been good practice for Ngidi, considering his curtailed World Cup run (a hamstring injury saw him play only four matches). Their pace-bowling lieutenant is building up steam again, if his three wickets are anything to go by.
“Yesterday (Monday) was my first game back in a long time. Obviously, still a bit rusty but after that bit of a bowl yesterday, the confidence came back. This morning (Tuesday morning), I was more of myself and yeah, it seems to come out a lot better and that’s the Lungi that I know. Hopefully that keeps coming out on this tour. Good to be back in India and bowling as well.”
The other trait that makes Ngidi as important a piece of the current South African jigsaw as Rabada is his ability to adapt to conditions; a trait that was on full display during his limited-but-lethal run with Chennai Super Kings. Change-up balls, slower deliveries, torpedo-like yorkers, the odd heavy ball; Ngidi does have a good number of tricks stuffed up his sleeve, ones that even out the playing field even on highway-like pitches.
“It is all about exploit the conditions that you are given on the day,” observes the Durban native. You don’t know... On the given day, you might get a ball that reverses and you do as best as you can. In my opinion, whatever you are given on the day, whether it is overcast conditions or it is a bit cloudy, whatever you get on the day, you use it as best as you can.”
Now, throw in the pace-bowling legend mentioned in the first paragraph as a mentor, and the confidence that brims from Ngidi’s expectations isn’t surprising.“Anything he knew, he gave to us. We feel as young bowlers, we are eager to play. I think we have prepared very well. That’s a given when you have a teacher like Dale Steyn.”