South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj delay shows the perils of match-up captaincy

South Africa opted to bowl at the Eden Gardens, a decision that seemed to have backfired when Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood reduced them to 24-4.

However, when Travis Head found massive turn in his first over to strike twice, the decision seemed partly vindicated, for South Africa would bowl last, and they had two quality left-arm spinners: Keshav Maharaj, whose finger spin turns away from the right-handers, and Tabraiz Shamsi, whose wrist spin turns into them.

David Miller’s 101 lifted South Africa from their difficult start to the innings to help them set Australia 213 to win, before Travis Head and David Warner blazed away to 60 in the first six overs of the chase. When Temba Bavuma introduced spin, he opted for part-time off-spinner Aiden Markram: conventional wisdom, after all, suggests that finger-spinners bowl better with the new ball.

Why not Maharaj, then, who recently became the top-ranked ODI bowler in the world as per ICC ratings? Warner and Head both bat left-handed, and Maharaj turns the ball into them. That, according to think tanks that follow matchups – where captains try to ensure spinners turn the ball away from batters – is a no-no.

The decision worked, as Markram bowled Warner (29 in 18 balls) first ball. In the next over, Rassie van der Dussen held a screamer to send Mitchell Marsh back. On a wicket which had produced turn, it was perhaps logical to introduce the best spinner into the attack as soon as possible.

Instead, Bavuma persisted with Kagiso Rabada at one end and Markram at the other, presumably to keep Maharaj away from Head. When he replaced Rabada, it was with another fast bowler, Gerald Coetzee. When he replaced Coetzee, he brought Shamsi on… because Shamsi would turn the ball away from Head.

To be fair to Bavuma, both Coetzee and Shamsi had Head dropped in their respective first overs. Head brought up his fifty, and after 14 overs, Australia were 106-2 – exactly half of South Africa’s total.

At this point Bavuma brought on Maharaj, despite Head being on strike. It did not matter that Head was going at a rapid pace or that the target had come down at a drastic rate or the fact that he turned the ball into the batter.

Maharaj did not hesitate to toss the first ball up. Head reached out for it, but the ball landed on a length outside off stump and spun viciously to bowl him through the gate. Ironically, Maharaj took out the batter they kept him away from with his first ball.

 

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The entire course of events reopened the question on whether a captain should back the superior bowler ahead of one who wins matchups. Bavuma seemed to have erred today and yet, he could have been vindicated, had van der Dussen held on to Head at slip in Shamsi’s first over.

Perhaps there is indeed merit in backing the superior bowler. Or perhaps it was one of those counterexamples that cricket the beautiful sport that it is.