Ahead of the first Test at Durban, Kane Williamson, New Zealand skipper, had played down the 'favourites' tag and his South African counterpart Faf du Plessis was keen on making a statement. However, all talks were put to rest as rain washed away more than three and a half days of cricket, and with it the prospect of an exciting contest.
The ground at Kingsmead was under-prepared, and once it rained, the outfield turned soft, holding on 65 mm of water. As a result, the conditions became dangerous for play to resume. With the teams mostly settled in their dressing rooms, there was ample time for them to go through the videos. With less than 100 overs of play possible, and no result coming out of it, the second of the two-match Test series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion has turned into a decider.
As much as New Zealand's new captain Williamson would like to play down his side's chances in the Test, they are a far more settled unit at the moment than the hosts. The two-Test series against Zimbabwe may not have posed a lot of challenge for them, but it did help them get back into the groove of playing in the longest format after a long limited-overs season.
South Africa's batting, in the absence of AB de Villiers, folded up quickly in the opening Test. There were a few notable knocks - a fluent half-century by Hashim Amla, a quickfire 33 from Quinton de Kock and partially-gritty innings from Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada. But the four-pronged pace attack of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Neil Wagner bowled well in helpful conditions and, along with Mitchell Santner, skittled out the visitors in less than a day.
The conditions in Centurion have traditionally favoured the pacers with the pitch deteriorating as the match progressing. However, Rudolph du Preez, SuperSport Park's groundsman has said, "It might not deteriorate as we are used to. It might be a little bit slower, it might be holding back a bit more." Given the conditions, New Zealand are unlikely to make any changes for the second Test, starting on Saturday (August 27).
Meanwhile, South Africa's woes at the top of the order continues. While Dean Elgar continues to remain inconsistent, Stephan Cook - coming at the back of a good domestic season - failed to make a big score after a steady start in the first Test. The visitors do have a strong middle order to fall back upon with the likes of Amla, du Plessis and Temba Bavuma doing a consistent job. But the South African selectors have continued to persist with JP Duminy despite a continued run of mediocre scores. He has failed to notch up a half century in his last 10 Test innings, a period in which he has recorded nine scores under 30.
Dale Steyn was incisive in his six-over spell in the first Test. The veteran fast bowler has cut down a bit on his pace, but continues to remain a threat with the moving ball. Vernon Philander is far from his best since his return to international cricket. But the 31-year-old seamer has enjoyed good returns in Centurion - bagging 18 wickets in four Tests at an average of 16.44, and would look to continue his dream run at the venue. Together with the young pacer Kagiso Rabada, they have a dangerous pace attack to showcase against the in-form New Zealand batting line up.
Centurion has been a fortress for the hosts, having won 16 out of 21 matches. They have lost only twice - against England in the controversial match of 2000 and against Australia in 2014. In the two encounters played between the South Africa and New Zealand at the SuperSport Park, the hosts registered comfortable wins on both occasions.
Even as the threat of rains and thunderstorms loom large, South Africa would look to maintain their winning record against New Zealand at Centurion and move a place above from their current No 7 rank in the ICC Test Rankings table.
Meanwhile, Williamson, who is still under the gaze, having taken over the captaincy from Brendon McCullum, will have a point to prove and work his way towards claiming a place in the long list of legendary New Zealand captains. A victory in the second Test will help that cause as it would ensure New Zealand's first-ever Test series win against South Africa.
When: South Africa vs New Zealand, 2nd Test on August 27 at 10:00 local time (8:00 GMT, 13:30 IST)
Where: SuperSport Park, Centurion
What to expect: Mostly cloudy day with thunderstorms expected
Team News
South Africa:
Despite a poor run of form, South Africa are likely to retain the experienced JP Duminy and opener Dean Elgar. It is unlikely that they will make any changes to the side that played in the Durban Test.
New Zealand:
With conditions conducive for pacers in SuperSport Park, New Zealand are likely to retain their four-pronged pace attack with Mitchell Santner being the lone spinner.
What they said:
"We play a little bit and then there's a big break. With the space the team is in now, we would like to play as much Test cricket as possible and try and build something. We have a mission as a team and we are trying to get there." - Faf du Plessis, South Africa captain.
"I don't know if you have too many lotteries in Test cricket. Over five days, the team that plays more consistent cricket over a period of time wins the match but it is a shame that we aren't able to play two full Tests, perhaps even more." - Kane Williamson, New Zealand skipper.Teams:New Zealand (From): Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling(w), Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Mark Craig, Matt Henry, Luke Ronchi, Jeet Raval, Ish SodhiSouth Africa (From): Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis(c), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock(w), Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Dane Piedt, Kyle Abbott, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Stiaan van Zyl
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