It was not only Lungi Ngidi’s performance that impressed captain Faf du Plessis, but rather the maturity the young bowler showed in his first Test. 

Making his dream debut on his home ground, Ngidi could not have asked for a better start to his Test career. With figures of 6-39 in the second innings against India, Ngidi was rewarded with the Man of the Match accolade.

Du Plessis could not stop praising Ngidi for how calm and level-headed he was on and off the field and believes this is why he was so successful. The 21-year-old showed great maturity throughout the Test match and did so with a smile on his face.

‘When new guys come into the team, from my side it’s important to make sure they feel like they belong,’ said Du Plessis. ‘But then for them to perform well means they have good heads on their shoulders and don’t see the occasion as too big, They just see it as another game where they can perform.

‘When I looked at Lungi, I never sensed any nerves. He was really calm and just wanted to bowl. His control impressed me a lot, which is a good sign for his Test career going forward’.

Ngidi also showed his maturity after being swamped by media throughout the Test match and was happy to answer all questions and seemed to be embracing the experience.

Having kicked off his Test career on the right foot, Ngidi looks to be focused on his goals for the future. With injuries over the past year, Ngidi is looking to stay determined and is excited about what his future holds.

‘I’d love this to be a long career, I know many people talk about how injuries have affected me in the past, but I feel like this is a new start.

‘In the past, I didn’t know what I was doing, to be honest. Now I’ve sort of found my feet and I know which path I’m going down as a cricketer.’

Ngidi’s future is looking bright and he will be hoping to take his form through to the third and final Test match at Wanderers in Johannesburg on 24 January.

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