Proteas have another point to prove against New Zealand’s Black Caps

Johannesburg — What an interesting time for New Zealand and South Africa’s cricket sides to be meeting in a Test series.

It is a pity the schedule doesn’t allow for an extra match, because these two teams are both at intriguing points on their respective journeys.

South Africa’s performances in the West Indies, in the T20 World Cup and of course at home to India, reflect a team on an upward curve. New Zealand made the final of the T20 World Cup, but as a Test side they’re showing signs that perhaps, their best days are in the past.

Dean Elgar was being kind when he said the following on Thursday: “It’s a great test for us to match ourselves and compare ourselves to a team that is playing at their peak at the moment.”

Maybe the Proteas captain didn’t want to give the hosts any kind of motivation to stick up in their dressing room. New Zealand is on the other side of its peak.

The peak came in a 14-month period starting in February 2020 when they defeated India in Wellington, and then went a further eight Tests without defeat, including home series wins against West Indies and Pakistan and an away series triumph in England.

In four Tests since winning the World Test Championship against India in Southampton last June, they’ve lost two including an historic home defeat to Bangladesh last month stole a draw with nine wickets down in the last innings against India in Kanpur and won once.

There is no clear favourite for this series, although New Zealand’s home record since losing to South Africa in 2017, will engender confidence for the hosts. The gap between the Proteas and the Black Caps is not as large as the one that seemed to exist between India and South Africa ahead of that Test series earlier this summer.

Had New