With the first Test against England less than 10 days away, new head coach Mark Boucher will have to make some big decisions as to how his starting XI will look come Boxing Day.

The Proteas tackle England at Supersport Park in Centurion on 26 December in the first of four test matches in what will be an immensely important series of direction for a new-look Cricket South Africa administration.

England will pose many daunting challenges and under their new coach, Chris Silverwood, they also have quite a lot to prove in Test cricket after failing to regain the Ashes and losing in New Zealand in recent months. This is how we feel the Proteas team will look for the opening Test match against the English.

1. Dean Elgar

• The rock at the top of order. His 160 against India in the first Test proved what a grinder he is when the rest of the team is failing. Elgar will particularly be crucial against the new ball when Jofra Archer comes steaming in, as to get the Proteas off to a solid start with the bat.

2. Aiden Markram

• If fit in time for the start of the first Test, Markram will be just as important to build a solid batting foundation for the batters. The 25-year-old has the ability to be quite aggressive against even the fastest bowlers in Test cricket and the Proteas will rely on him to take the challenge to the England pace attack. Once settled at the crease, Markram can be a joy to watch, but he will need to capitalise more often on those good starts.

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3. Zubayr Hamza

• Probably the most focused and critical area of Boucher’s Test team. The absence of Hashim Amla at No 3 will probably be felt for some time to come, but Hamza has the perfect opportunity to showcase his talent against such a quality bowling outfit.

4. Faf du Plessis (c)

• The captain will be a relieved man after all the off-the-field drama at CSA in recent weeks. Graeme Smith and Boucher will now look to Du Plessis to implement their vision on the pitch and to lead this Proteas squad into a new era of Test cricket.

5. Temba Bavuma

• The criticism he received during the India tour was rather unfair but this series against England could prove to be pivotal in his young Test career. Bavuma is a classy batsman once he gets going – he became a hero in that Test match at Newlands against England at the start of 2016 when he scored a century for the ages. He should, however, use this series as an opportunity to raise his game and get his form back on track again.

6. Rassie van der Dussen

• A very exciting inclusion in the Test squad. What a year he has had for the green and gold and a Test debut will be rich reward for Van der Dussen. He proved in the shorter formats that he is a very adaptable batsman and offers something completely different. He doesn’t mind to be patient in order to get his eye in but at the same time he can be very devastating at the crease once he is comfortable.

7. Quinton de Kock (wk)

• He opened the batting during the final Test in India in the absence of Aiden Markram and many want him to continue batting higher up the order but with Van der Dussen in the side, De Kock will be able to bat with more freedom than ever at No 7. He almost always offers strong resistance down the order, which will be highly beneficial against the likes of Archer and James Anderson.

8. Vernon Philander

• Following Dale Steyn’s retirement, Philander’s experience with the red ball will be of the utmost importance in the whole series against England. He’s ability to use swing under home conditions have caused many travelling teams problems in the past, while his batting potential will also come in handy down the order.

9. Keshav Maharaj

• The only spinner in the squad for the first two Test matches, Maharaj has become an important figure in the Test team in recent times. Faf du Plessis will turn to him at key moments in the opener, especially at times when the seam bowlers might be struggling. Maharaj has proven to have the ability to pick up wickets at critical times and will need to strike as the alternative bowling option.

10. Kagiso Rabada

• After a rather ‘quiet’ 2019 with the ball, Rabada will need to be at his very best for the bowling unit to have any sort of chance of getting the better of the English batsmen. South Africa’s most feared bowler, he made a name for himself the last time South Africa and England met in a Test match at Centurion, taking 13 wickets for 144 runs, which earned him the Player of the Match award for the fourth and final Test.

11. Anrich Nortje

• With Lungi Ngidi ruled out of the opener against the English the 26-year-old bowler will have a golden opportunity against a quality batting lineup to stake his claim in Test cricket. After missing this year’s Cricket World Cup through injury, Nortje made his debut against India in the second Test in Pune. The South African conditions will suit him much better, though, and he could have a real impact on the outcome of the team’s bowling performance.

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