Cometh the hour, cometh Marco Jansen

If, sometime in the future, you answer 2026/27, you could be correct. Because, if the current trend holds, we might get there in the coming months.

That leaves Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee and Kwena Maphaka still standing. All of them, along with Duan Jansen — who started his international white-ball career in Namibia last month — are in the squad to play a series of three ODIs against Australia that starts at Kingsmead on Thursday.

Without wishing anyone else ill, it would be quite something if Keshav Maharaj — himself a left-armer, albeit a spinner — was joined by the Jansens, Maphaka and Basson were in the XI for the three-Test series against the Aussies which starts, also in Durban, on October 9.

Or in either or both of the Tests against Bangladesh at the Wanderers and in Centurion from November 15 to 27. Or in the rubber of three Tests against England in Johannesburg, Centurion and Cape Town from December 26 to January 7.

Marco Jansen doesn’t have the time nor probably the inclination to ponder the hypothetical whatifery of it all. In Rabada’s absence he will lead South Africa’s attack in the Australia ODIs. And he will have to do so without Ngidi’s intelligence and skill.

“Those two not being a part of the squad is a loss,” Jansen told a press conference on Monday. “They’re world-class bowlers, especially in South Africa. They know how to bowl in these conditions, and they know how to get the most out of the ball on a particular day. It feels like I’m going to have to take that leadership role and lead from the front for the first time.”

Not quite. Jansen took the new ball in the last four innings of his 21 Tests — in Kolkata and Guwahati in November last year, matches Rabada missed with a rib injury. Those are the only instances of Jansen bowling the first over of a Test innings, but he has shared the new nut 16 times; on each occasion with Rabada.

In ODIs Jansen has had the new ball 14 times — eight times when Ngidi has shared it, three when Rabada has. When Jansen has shared the new ball — in 12 ODIs — Ngidi has bowled first seven times and Rabada thrice.

Jansen has been entrusted with the new ball in 18 T20Is. Rabada has bowled the second over in seven of those games, Ngidi in two and Gerald Coetzee and Aiden Markram in three each. In the 10 T20Is in which Jansen has bowled the second over, Ngidi has taken the new ball six times and Rabada twice.

Whichever way you spin it, Jansen’s involvement with a new or nearly new ball in international cricket is tightly bound with Rabada and Ngidi. Jansen has bowled the first or second overs of an innings 74 times across the formats. Fifty-four of those times — 72.97% of the total — his partner has been Rabada or Ngidi.

Now neither of them is around. But what they have meant to Jansen will be with him on the field.

“I base what I think leadership looks like on playing with KG and Lungi,” Jansen said. “When things go sideways or it’s tough, especially when we’re in the field, they have a way of calming and slowing things down. That’s what I’ll be trying to do.

“Because the last thing you want when you’re struggling in an over or at the death when the ball is flying around is someone just giving solutions and saying do this or do that. It’s important to pick up on the moments when a bowler needs time to slow things down and ask simple questions; things like what’s the plan here or how are we going to get this guy off strike.

“We do all the work before the game. We know what plans we want to put into action, what balls we want to bowl, and which fields we want to set. On game day it’s all about how to get the guys in a mental space where they can execute their gameplans. It’s about getting the best out of them.”

Considering the body blows South Africa’s fast bowling stocks have taken it’s a relief Jansen is still in the fight. But he explained, with reference to the first-class match he played for the Titans against the Dolphins in Centurion from September 10 to 12, that that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

“My build-up to that game didn’t go as planned,” Jansen said. “I planned to bowl two or three weeks before but then I got sick. I was on antibiotics for a week-and-a-half, two weeks. That cut my preparation short, so I only had three days of prep and felt heavily undercooked going into the match. I also saw two physios as well for small stuff. Coming back from after The Hundred I had to sort out stiffness in the body.”

It didn’t show on the field. Jansen got through nine overs in the first innings, claiming 3/39. Then he hammered seven fours in his 45-ball 37. He hit his straps in the Dolphins’ second innings, bowling 17 overs and taking 4/61 to help the Titans win by an innings and 60 runs.

Click here to read article