India vs South Africa: Everything you need to know about the little-known players in SA Test squad | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: South African cricket is going through a transitional phase and therefore their 21-member squad for the three-match Test series vs India has more rookies than seasoned campaigners.
There are as many as six uncapped players in an expanded squad, including three fast bowlers in Glenton Stuurman, Marco Jansen and Sisanda Magala. The other uncapped players are batsmen Sarel Erwee and Ryan Rickelton and off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen.
The first Test will start on Boxing Day at SuperSport Park in Centurion , with the second taking place from January 3-7 at The Wanderers in Johannesburg and the third at Newlands in Cape Town from January 11-15.
TimesofIndia.com has picked five of the little known players in the SA squad who can have a big impact on the upcoming Test series against India:

DUANNE OLIVIER (Right arm fast medium bowler)

(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Duanne Olivier’s excellent domestic form has paved the way for him to make the cut in the South Africa squad for the Test series against India. Having spent three seasons with the English county Yorkshire, the 29-year-old pacer made a remarkable return to the South African domestic circuit this season. He has taken 28 wickets at an average of 11.10 in four first-class matches for the Johannesburg-based Lions team.
Olivier signed a Kolpak deal with Yorkshire in 2019 and made his intentions clear to qualify for England. Olivier has 48 wickets in 10 Tests to his name so far including a man of the series performance of 24 wickets at an average of 14.70 against Pakistan in 2018/19.
Olivier’s ability to produce express pace and uneven bounce can create a lot of problems for Indian batsmen on helpful pitches in Centurion, Johannesburg and Cape Town — the venues for the upcoming series. Olivier is yet to ply his trade against India in the longer format. He could also be very effective when reverse swing comes into the picture. With someone like Anrich Nortje ruled out with injury, Olivier could play a big role this time for captain Dean Elgar and the Proteas.
Duanne Olivier in Tests: M 10 | W 48 | BBI 6/37 | BBM 11/96 | Avg 19.25 | 5w 3 | 10w 1
WIAAN MULDER (All-rounder – Right hand bat and right arm medium pace bowler)

(Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Wiaan Mulder is a genuine all-rounder who possesses the ability to win matches for his team with both bat and ball. He averages 21.07 with the ball and has taken 14 wickets in six Test matches that he has played so far. However, Mulder has failed to show his batting prowess with 143 runs under his belt only so far.
The right-arm medium pacer has 115 wickets to his name in First Class cricket at a fine average of 24.66. His List A stats with the ball are also impressive with 37 wickets in as many matches. Mulder also traveled to the T20 World Cup with the South Africa squad but didn’t play a game. The 23-year-old Mulder has not featured against India in Test cricket so far.
Wiaan Mulder in Tests: M 6 | R 143 | HS 36 | W 14 | BBI 3/1 | BBM 5/108
KEEGAN PETERSEN (Right hand top order batsman)

(Photo Courtesy: ICC Twitter)
Keegan Petersen, who made his Test debut against the West Indies earlier this year, is all set to retain the key No 3 position against India in the Test series. He will be on the radar of the SA team management to ascertain his suitability at the highest level after his mediocre outing against the West Indies.
Like the other KP (Kevin Pietersen), the 28-year-old Keegan Petersen is an aggressive right-hand batsman. Petersen came into the limelight in the 2018-19 domestic season when he scored 923 runs at an average of 61.53. His performance earned him a call-up to the national squad for the 2019-20 season, but he failed to make it into the XI ahead of Rassie van der Dussen and Zubayr Hamza.
Keegan Petersen in Tests: M 2 | R 44 | HS 19 | Avg 14.66 | 100s 0 | 50s 0
RASSIE VAN DER DUSSEN (Right hand top order batsman)

(Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Rassie van der Dussen has been a middle order mainstay for South Africa since he made his Test debut against England in December 2019. A right-hand batsman, van der Dussen has so far scored 610 runs in 10 Test matches with a score of 98 being his highest.
Van der Dussen’s success has largely been in white ball cricket, but he has managed to take that form into the longest format of the game. He was the top-scorer in South Africa’s first-class domestic competition in 2017-18. But it was his tryst with T20 cricket that made van der Dussen impossible to ignore.
Rassie van der Dussen in Tests: M 10 | R 610 | HS 98 | Avg 38.12 | 100s 0 | 50s 6
GEORGE LINDE (All-rounder – Left hand bat & slow left arm orthodox bowler)

(Photo by Charle Lombard/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
George Linde made his Test debut against India in Ranchi in October 2019 but has played just three matches since then. He fared reasonably well for South Africa A against India A last month by scoring 96 runs and taking three wickets with his slow left arm orthodox bowling.
Linde will have to vie with Keshav Maharaj for a berth in the playing XI. The 30-year-old Linde won the hearts of fans when he played through pain against Pakistan in Rawalpindi earlier this year. He thought his season was over when he saw bone sticking out through the skin of his little finger while fielding in his follow through.
George Linde in Tests: M 3 | R 135 | HS 37 | W 9 | BBI 5/64 | BBM 5/68