The all-rounder has been in fine form off late
South Africa have been trying to find the right No.3 for their Test set-up for a while now. Over the last two years, the Proteas have tried five different batters for the most crucial batting position in red-ball cricket which includes the likes of Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickleton and Raynard van Tonder for a couple of games.
Stubbs has batted in that role in the five matches and averaged 58 with a hundred and a fifty but the team management have preferred the youngster at No.5 for the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) final which paid dividends as they went on to end their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy earlier this month at Lord’s.
AUSA-W
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INDA-W
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AMR
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SVL
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TBW
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KNK
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SVL
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BVB
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CAM-W
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LL-W
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LL-W
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LL-W
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LL-W
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BANA
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In fact, their search for a viable No.3 has been going ever since legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis retired in 2014. Kallis, who was rock of the South African Test side for over two decades, ended his career as the third-highest runscorer in history with 13,289 runs and the second-most hundreds with 45 Test tons.
To match that legacy is no mean feat, but South Africa seemed to have found another fast-bowling all-rounder to be a fixture for the No.3 spot in Wiaan Mulder.
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Mulder was promoted to the critical role at the beginning of the year after much experimentation and are seeing the results.
In the ongoing first Test against Zimbabwe at Bulwayo, the 27-year-old has added more weight to his case for the spot with a brilliant 147 on the third day to put the World Test champions in a strong position to win the Test.
Mulder, who claimed 4-50 with the ball on second day, started the third day on a score of 25 and added 63 with De Zorzi and then 72 for the fourth wicket with David Bedingham. He stood firm when the Proteas kept losing wickets at the other end and reached his 100 in 149 balls.
He also added 104 runs for the sixth wicket with wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne which took South Africa’s second innings lead past 400 runs.
He finally perished as the seventh wicket in Wessly Madhevere’s bowling.
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