South Africa whitewashes West Indies in a 2-match Test series at home: Player ratings for the hosts
Excellent show from South Africa as they defeated West Indies 2-0 at home in a recently concluded Test series. Opener Aiden Markram was outstanding throughout the series with his 276 runs whereas skipper Tenda Bavuma was the second-highest scorer in the series.
Let us take a glance at the performances of South African players in the Test series:
Top Order
Dean Elgar (5/10): It was never easy to bat against the pace batteries of West Indies, especially with the new ball but Dean Elgar handled it well. The left-hander scored 71 in the first innings of the first Test and 42 in the next Test.
Elgar scored 119 runs in the series with an average of around 30. The 35-year old could have stayed a bit longer on the pitch to give his side a better opening partnership.
Aiden Markram (9.5/10): One of the most elegant players in the world right now, Aiden Markram had a fantastic series with 276 runs in 2 games. He played a phenomenal innings of 115 in the first Test and was equally better in the second Test with a splendid 96.
Aiden Markram scored a phenomenal century in the first Test against West Indies
The right-hander scored with an average of around 70 with 45 lovely boundaries to his name. Markram would want to continue his tremendous display in the ODI and T20I series as well.
Toni de Zorzi (5/10): It was not a bad start to his Test career as Zorzi scored 114 runs in the series. The debutant was brilliant with his 85 in the second Test which helped South Africa post 320 in the first innings.
He got starts in the first Test but couldn’t convert them into big scores. Going forward, Zorzi would be an effective option for South Africa in Test cricket.
Middle Order
Tenda Bavuma (8/10): Skipper Tenda Bavuma was excellent in the series with 200 runs in the series. He scored a scintillating ton in the 2nd Test and helped Africa win the Test. What made his innings even more special was that it came in the second innings when the wicket was not at its best.
Bavuma gave an epic reply to his critics with this innings and the skipper would now like to rise high from here. The 32-year old scored at an astonishing average of 50 which is splendid in Test cricket.
Keegan Petersen (1.5/10): It was not a series Petersen wanted as a player as he failed in the sole game he played. With 14 and 7 runs respectively, Petersen made way for Ryan Rickelton in the second Test. It is not the end of the road for the South African as he would like to come back strongly going forward.
Heinrich Klaasen (3.5/10): The wicket-keeper batsman had a forgettable series with the bat with just 56 runs to his name. He was good in wicket-keeping but failed to make an impact with the willow. Klaasen is now an experienced name on the side and the management expects him to score crucial runs.
All-Rounders
Senuran Muthusamy (1/10): Terrible stuff from the all-rounder Muthusamy as he failed both with the bat and ball in the only Test he played. He should have been given another chance to prove but the 29-year old was dropped from the second game. He has just played 3 Tests so far and would surely make a comeback in the series to come.
Marco Jansen (5.5/10): Marco Jansen picked up 3 wickets in the only Test he played in the series. He not only bowled well in the game but also batted efficiently in the first innings and remained not out. Overall, his effort helped South Africa in some way to achieve victory in the Test.
Bowlers
Gerald Coetzee had a dream debut against West Indies in the recent series
Gerald Coetzee (9/10): Imagine a bowler taking 9 wickets on his debut in front of a top batting line-up is a sign of a great cricketer. Coetzee was incredible in the series with the tight lines he bowled.
The young speedster had an average of just below 16 which is great when it comes to debut. Now, he would like to continue his spark in the overseas Tests as well.
Kagiso Rabada (9/10): Kagiso Rabada picked up 12 wickets in the series which is an outstanding effort from the veteran. He bowled 50 overs in the series with an average of 11 which is excellent in Test cricket.
Rabada has always been a top-notch bowler for South Africa and has always performed whenever his team required. This time as well, the right-arm fast bowler helped his team win the series with his speed.
Anrich Nortje (8.5/10): One of the fastest in the world right now, Anrich Nortje played just one game in the series and took 6 wickets. His fifer in the first innings really dismantled the West Indies line-up that eventually took the game away from the visitors.
The right-arm fast bowler was right up there on the occasion when his side needed him. Economy-wise, Nortje was better than many of the other bowlers in the series.
Keshav Maharaj (6/10): Keshav Maharaj was another player who just played one Test in the series but he took great advantage of it. Maharaj took 3 crucial wickets in the game to help South Africa win the battle.
He is one of the finest spinners in the world currently with over 150 wickets in less than 50 matches. He is the core spinner in the line-up and would like to be in the frame for a much longer period.