Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj says he didn’t want captain Temba Bavuma to take the ball away from him during the first Test against the West Indies in Trinidad.

With the Proteas selecting just three seamers, Maharaj bowled 66.2 of their 148.1 overs on a placid pitch, taking eight wickets in a rain-affected drawn Test to win the Man of the Match award.

“With the way we picked our squad, I know there’s a lot of bowling for me to do,” Maharaj told the media on Tuesday.

“I think the weather with the constant rainfall actually binded the wicket and made it more placid. I just wanted to bowl. I haven’t bowled in Test cricket for a while, so I didn’t want the captain to take the ball away from me.

“The wicket did get a lot better as the game went on. Surprisingly, I think if there wasn’t so many intervals that were taken away due to the rain, I think the wicket would have deteriorated the way we expected it to.

“Obviously, the weather was an unforeseen circumstance that was beyond our control.”

Maharaj said he prided himself on his ability to bowl consistently well for long hours.

“Whatever format I play; I always keep my workloads as if I’m preparing for Test cricket. The only thing that changes is your lengths and sometimes your lines a little bit.

“From a longevity point of view, I still bowl my long hours regardless of whether it’s T20, Test or 50-over cricket. It’s always something I’ve prided myself on. I don’t have many variations like the other types of spinners around the world.

“I try to rely on consistency and being able to do it for long periods of time. And then, just to keep myself fresh as I never want the captain to take the ball away from me in Test cricket. I’m always trying to bowl my best ball and just trying to be the wily character that some spinners try to be. Yeah, like I said, my passion is spin bowling. I love it.

“I can wake up at two o’clock in the morning, and if you ask me to bowl, I’ll bowl. That keeps me motivated, and I think the hunger and desire to want to do well for the team and take this team into a different direction.

“You know, I’ll bowl the whole day if I need to. So that’s the motivation I use.”

The second and final Test starts in Guyana on Thursday.

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