It’s a wonderful feeling to watch Keegan Peterson play

[ad_1]

A graceful glance, a delightful flick through the middle wicket, a fine reverse sweep of boundaries – Keegan Peterson has all the shots in his arsenal to thrive in international cricket. More importantly, he seems to have that desire and determination.

Coming into his second Test series after a poor showing in his first, with a new team looking to re-establish the dominance of the decade-old predecessor, the 28-year-old is arguably The batsmen have high hopes for Parr.

Ahead of his Test debut against the West Indies in June 2021, South African Test captain Dean Elgar has touted Peterson as the man to fill the void left by the recently retired Faf du Plessis. Not many people outside of South Africa know Peterson at this point, and three under 20 against the West Indies certainly doesn’t help his case. Continued defeats against India at home are likely to lead to Peterson becoming another fleeting name in South African cricket in search of a player capable of succeeding at international level. After all, another talented top hitter uncapped, Ryan Rickelton, is waiting.

However, Peterson not only responded by pleasing the selectors, he ended up winning the Player of the Match award in the third inning and the decisive Test, as well as the best of the series after scoring the most in the series against India. Player award.

It wasn’t easy to run – the pitch was not flat anyway, and the effectiveness of Bumrah and Shami needs no introduction. South Africa won the series without even scoring 300 once in six innings, revealing how much their bowlers were instrumental in beating India. All of this further confirms that Peterson’s run is invaluable in a bowler-dominated series. No other South African scored more than 50 points in the tiebreaker, with Peterson hitting the winners with 72 and 82 in the two innings.

Especially in the second inning, chasing 212 and attacked by a relentless battery of speed, Peterson held up with tight defensive technique, coupled with impeccable judgment when keeping the ball out. Needless to say, this is easier said than done. One ball was nearly full length, lifted dangerously, and spat one out of his face like a cobra, another leaned over the stump and flew dangerously close to the outer edge, and another, a few yards from the stump. The inch turned sharply – Peterson faced it all, and Peterson survived. During this time, he fought back with calm confidence. Fine screening oozes course from Bumrah, a perfectly timed glimpse through Thakur points and, of course, a definitive reverse sweep over Ashwin-Peterson brings a variety of shots, both speed and spin, and executes them to Perfection, perhaps the result of talent and nearly a decade of first-class cricket experience.

Admittedly, Peterson did have a one-point lead at 59, only for Pujara with relative ease. Fate, as they say, favors the brave man, and if anyone deserves luck, it is this brave man who keeps stealth hunters out most of the time. In the end, he took Shardul Thakur’s shot down a stump after needing 57 runs and received a standing ovation for his performance in the chase. It was evident from his disappointment that he wanted to stay until the end and win for his country.

Clearly, Peterson is a man who loves to fight (and enjoy every moment of it, as he revealed in his post-match presentation), a valuable quality in a cricketer. Another valuable quality for anyone (not just cricketers) is the willingness to learn at any time, and a proud Elgar praised Peterson for having that quality in his post-match interview.

Also read: DeWald Conference, AB 2.0

A look back at Peterson’s past can attest to those qualities and his desire to serve the country. Peterson played for the Cavaliers in the 2018/19 CSA Domestic Franchise Series and ended up being the series’ top scorer with a 61.53 average. As a reward for his consistent performance, he was initially selected for the national team in December 2019. Unfortunately, in the series against England, he failed to reach the last 11. As revealed by his domestic coach Imran Khan, Peterson waited for the moment to improve his game by training with Jacques Callis and enjoy the experience. He then moved to the Dolphins for the 2019/20 season and continued his scoring spree with 173 points in his first game. It was the start of another fruitful year in the domestic league, culminating in his return to the national team. However, due to Covid-19, he will have to wait until June 2021 to get a testing cap.

Peterson’s road to international cricket has not been smooth, but above all he has not given up and after years of hard work he is now reaping the rewards. Not everyone was praised by AB de Villiers, who, in his third Test against India, tweeted excitement at Peterson’s composure, skill and technique against one of the best attacks in the world.

Like a soldier on the battlefield, knowing when to defend and when to strike, Peterson always used good judgment without letting his opponent take any chances. A player who is unafraid of adversity, has confidence in himself and the courage to create counter-attacks, he has shown that he has everything it takes to belong at this level. Consistency should be his next goal, and the upcoming away tour against New Zealand in February 2022 provides the perfect stage.

South Africa has gone through a lengthy rebuilding phase after many retirements of high-profile players, and after a difficult, debilitating winter full of losses and instability, the likes of Peterson (and another, Marko Jensen) The signs the new players are showing are promising. With its last two series victories, this team is looking to dominate the world again, full of new talent as well as skilled veterans leading the way.

Keegan Petersen may not be the first person who comes to mind when someone talks about a cricketer from South Africa with the initials KP.but This Slowly gaining worldwide recognition, KP is working to fill Faf’s place and make the South African No. 3 his own.



[ad_2]

Source link