Outplayed and outclassed by the England on the opening day, Faf du Plessis and South Africa can make amends at the Oval on Sunday (June 2) against Bangladesh, who are currently on a high having recently won the tri-series involving West Indies and Ireland. The Proteas were hoping to slip under the radar with the focus being solely on the favourites at the World Cup, but the meek surrender on Thursday has meant their backs are against the wall. The lengthy nature of the 10-team group stage, in which each country plays nine matches and the top four make the semi-finals, gives South Africa time to recover, a point du Plessis was keen to emphasise to his players.
“You’re going to come up against quality opposition at the World Cup. For me, it’s about making sure we look at the areas that we got it wrong and just move on,” du Plessis said. Bangladesh, who in previous World Cups have enjoyed upsetting the apple cart, have made considerable progress since their 2015 quarter-final finish and will look to improve on that. Keeping in mind the recent collapse, Faf and co will be relieved they don’t have to contend with a Jofra Archer-like situation on Sunday, however Bangladesh with Mustafizur Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan won’t be pushovers in helpful conditions.
Mortaza, who himself is in a race against time after suffering a hamstring strain against India, will not only need some luck but also his batsmen to show grit and ability to adapt against the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir, all of whom can do irreparable damage individually. Tamim Iqbal did not play against India due to a thigh strain got hit on his hand during a nets session but is expected to be fit for the match, while Dale Steyn remains unavailable for the Proteas. The Oval is likely to aid the bowlers a little with the new ball and both sides will look to make a telling impact early on. The South African side came into the World Cup on the back of a 5-0 series win against the Sri Lankans, and were looking to enjoy their games in England before they came undone against the hosts. Bangladesh lost their warm-up game against India before the start of the World Cup, but showed they were in good nick as they remained unbeaten in the tri-series involving West Indies and Ireland in Dublin.
Players to watch out for: Lungi Ngidi: The young South African fast bowler has been among the wickets and his ability to bowl fast throughout his spell will make things uncomfortable for the Bangladesh batsmen. Dealing with his spell might just give the opposition the boost to avoid any collapses. Shakib Al Hasan: The all-rounder is possibly Bangladesh’s most important player and will be tasked with using his guile to hopefully derail the Proteas batting. As a batsman, Shakib will have to anchor his side through the innings and help keep things calm even as the fast bowlers look to cause mayhem. The Proteas have one injury worry in Dale Steyn, and the veteran bowler will be unavailable for the Bangladesh game. du Plessis’ options are limited, especially in the batting department so there are unlikely to be any major changes. Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal are both in a race against time to be available for the clash against South Africa.
Squads:
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, JP Duminy, Dwaine Pretorius, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi
Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Abu Jayed, Liton Das (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal.