Terming cricket as a team sport is almost a misnomer, for it remains individualistic at its very core. Once the game begins, it becomes a personal duel between the batsman and the bowler while the fielders act as the supporting cast.
It is only natural then that the flashy performers with several centuries or wickets to their names are elevated to stardom by the fans. When enough time has passed, it is the Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths whose names will be etched more deeply in the memories of cricket aficionados.
However, there are several players who fly under the radar despite playing their part for the team. They aren’t exactly the flashiest of players, though they end up chipping in with important contributions more often than not.
In this series, we look at some of these underrated and unheralded men whose contributions deserve more recognition than they currently get. South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj is our man in focus below.
KESHAV MAHARAJ
Age: 30
Tests: 30
Wickets: 110
Average: 33.19
Having made his first-class debut at the age of 16 in 2006, Keshav Maharaj had to wait nearly a decade before getting his maiden call-up to the South Africa squad.
Coming from a country where spinners have largely taken a backseat to the pacers, Maharaj’s path to the national team was never going to be an easy one.
Having initially started his cricket development as a pacer, the youngster eventually found his true calling as a spinner when he was 12. The story goes that Maharaj was irritated with his coach, and bowled spin during a game as an act of rebellion. The new mode stuck with him, and he has since blossomed into one of the finest spinners produced by South Africa.
A classical and orthodox left-armed spinner by trade, Maharaj’s South Africa call-up was a reward for topping the domestic wicket-taking charts in the 2014-15 and the 2015-16 seasons.
It was somewhat fitting that the southpaw’s Test debut came in Perth of all places in 2016 against Australia. In doing so, Maharaj became the first specialist spinner in history to make his Test bow at a ground which has forever been known as a paradise for pace bowlers.
Picking up four wickets while also registering a fine 41 with the bat, Maharaj showed that he was here to stay with his performance at the WACA.
Since then, Maharaj has done more than enough to establish himself in the South Africa Test XI and is now starting to feature in the limited-overs outfits as well.
STYLE
While variations have now become the norm for spinners at the highest level, Maharaj remains a throwback to the previous eras with a reliance on drift and turn.
A bowler who loves to impart plenty of flight on the ball, Maharaj has managed to excel despite playing most of his cricket in conditions not conducive to spinners.
Since he made his Test debut in November, 2016, only Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Lyon and Ravindra Jadeja have picked up more wickets than the South African.
While a bowling average of more than 33 does not exactly flatter Maharaj, the numbers do not tell the whole story of his brilliance. Just four of his 30 Test appearances so far have come in Asia with the majority (17) taking place in South Africa.
Despite being majorly deprived of the helpful spin bowling conditions in the subcontinent, Maharaj has still managed to hold among the top spinners in the world.
South Africa’s pitches in the past few years have been tailored to suit their impressive pace attack, with Maharaj even omitted from the playing XI on several occasions in order to field an all-pace attack.
Yet, the left-armer has managed to average a respectable 34 in home conditions while proving to be the perfect complement to the formidable Proteas pace attack.
He is also a handy batsman to have down the order for South Africa, and shown his batting chops with two previous half-centuries.
MEMORABLE DISPLAYS
9-129 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo (2018)
In what has been Maharaj’s most memorable display so far, the southpaw ran through the Sri Lanka batting order on a turning track in Colombo. The hosts got off to a great start before Maharaj broke the 116-run stand between Dimuth Karunaratne and Dasun Gunathilaka.
He would go on to pick eight more wickets in the innings as Sri Lanka were ultimately bundled out for 338. Unfortunately for Maharaj, his sensational display came in a losing cause after South Africa’s batsmen crumbled under pressure. Yet, his 9-129 in the first-innings remains the second-best bowling performance by a South African after Hugh Tayfield’s 9-113 against England in 1957.
It was also only the second instance in history of a left-armed spinner claiming nine wickets in an innings.
6-40 vs New Zealand, Wellington (2017)
Maharaj’s best for South Africa in a winning cause arrived in Wellington during the second Test against New Zealand in 2017. He grabbed two wickets in the first innings to help restrict the hosts to 268.
After the Proteas batsmen had secured a 91-run in response, Maharaj delivered the death knell for New Zealand with a ripping second innings display. Morne Morkel made three early breakthroughs for the visitors before Maharaj claimed six scalps in just over 20 overs. With the Kiwis all out for just 171, South Africa romped to a comfortable eight-wicket win to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Maharaj’s prolific display rightly earned him the man-of-the-match award.
5-94 vs New Zealand, Dunedin (2017)
In his maiden outing on New Zealand soil, Maharaj showed his ability to thrive on what was a pace-friendly wicket. A battling ton from Dean Elgar had handed South Africa a first innings total of 308, but that was in danger of being overhauled comfortably after a strong start by New Zealand’s top-order.
A century stand for the second wicket between Jeet Raval and Kane Williamson was threatening to take the game away from South Africa, before Maharaj made a decisive intervention. The southpaw dismissed half-centurions Raval and BJ Watling on the way to grabbing his maiden five-for in Test cricket.
His showing helped restrict New Zealand’s first innings lead to just 33 runs, with South Africa subsequently holding on for a draw.
5-123 and 4-102 vs Australia, Durban (2018)
In the infamous series which would ultimately be tarnished due to the ball-tampering saga, Maharaj made a notable impression with his battling performance in the opening Test.
Australia were motoring along at 151-3 in the first innings before Maharaj got into the act and dismissed Steve Smith. The Proteas spinner claimed four further scalps in the innings as Australia posted a total of 351. However, South Africa’s batsmen faltered against the reverse swing of Mitchell Starc as the visitors secured a commanding 189-run lead.
Majaraj kept his end of the bargain in the second innings as well, with four wickets in a marathon overall spell of nearly 30 overs. Unfortunately, his nine-wicket match haul went in vain as the Aussies clinched a 118-run win in the series opener. Despite the result, his clinical showing on a dry track was another testament to his craft and guile.
