"It gives me goosebumps"- South Africa's Keegan Petersen on the prospect of Test debut against West Indies
South African batsman Keegan Petersen is expected to make his Test debut when the visitors take on West Indies in the first of their two-match Test series at St. Lucia today.
Petersen revealed that he was nervous and getting goosebumps just by thinking about his debut. Skipper Dean Elgar all but confirmed recently that Keegan Petersen would replace the retired Faf du Plessis in the middle order.
The West Indies (6th) are currently ranked higher than South Africa (7th) in the latest ICC Test rankings.
The Proteas are no longer the force they were in the longest format of the game, and their brittle batting lineup has been their Achilles heel over the last few years. They have crossed the 300 run mark just twice in their last 19 Test innings.
Keegan Petersen will be keen to change that when the 27-year-old makes his debut against the West Indies.
"I’ve been nervous for a while now. It gives me goosebumps thinking about it. I know I will have big boots to fill. This is what we dream of as kids and eventually when the dream becomes a reality, it gives your system a bit of a shock. I’ve been around, so for me to get a go in the side means a lot because I know where I’ve come from and I know the journey has been tough and long. But this is what we work for," Petersen told reporters.
Petersen is an experienced campaigner in domestic cricket, having played 97 first-class games while averaging 40.94 with the bat.
The batsman has been traveling with the South African team for almost two years now without breaking into the playing XI.
South Africa vs West Indies head-to-head record in Tests
West Indies will be feeling confident going into the Test series after their away series win over Bangladesh and a drawn series versus Sri Lanka at home earlier this year.
However, the Proteas have a vastly superior head-to-head record against the Windies, winning 18 of the 28 Tests played between the two sides.
Seven games have ended in a draw, while the Caribbean outfit has only three Test wins over South Africa in their history. The Windies last won a Test against the African side in 2007.
The two-match Test series will be followed by a five-match T20I contest.