Lungi Ngidi is back in the Test team for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s, his first Test in ten months and only his third under coach Shukri Conrad. He’s been picked ahead of Dane Paterson, with the team going for more pace in the lineup which also includes Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder and spinner Keshav Maharaj. Captain Temba Bavuma said at a press conference that it was a tough call but went with Ngidi for his height and pace, which is big advantage on the Lord’s slope.
All the Australian fast bowlers are over 1.90m tall and South Africa matched that with Jansen at 2.06m and Ngidi at 1.93m. Mulder is the shortest in the lineup at 1.85m, known for his medium pace but his style was seen as too similar to Paterson’s. Bavuma said while both have experience, Ngidi’s skills fit better with the team’s needs.
Ngidi has played at Lord’s before, against England in 2022 but his impact was minimal, taking one wicket in 12 overs. He hasn’t played a Test in a year and didn’t play any red-ball cricket last summer. He was seen training with England’s Stuart Broad, Rabada, Jansen and Mulder just before the match.
His last first-class game was in August during a Test against the West Indies. Since then he’s been struggling with injuries, including a groin issue that kept him out for a while. This year he played five SA20 league matches and all the matches of the Champions Trophy but still has questions around his endurance for longer spells on the pitch.
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On the other hand, Dane Paterson has shown he can bowl a lot of overs this season, taking 13 wickets in two Tests. But the management decided to strengthen the batting and create a better bowling mix which led to his omission. Paterson is 36 and nearing the end of his international career and won’t play in the upcoming series against Zimbabwe.
