Faf du Plessis Slowly Making the Number Three Batting Spot His Own

Imagine being the player who has to step into the shoes of the greatest player a side has ever had. That’s exactly what Faf du Plessis has had to do since Jacques Kallis retired in 2013.

Although he had already proven himself as a man with mettle in other testing positions, Du Plessis officially took over as South Africa’s Test number three on the tour to Sri Lanka in 2014.

He's already averaged 61.00 in the eight innings he's batted at three. In his first innings in the position, in Sri Lanka last year, he was part of a crucial partnership with Dean Elgar. Together, they combined for a 125-run stand to help set the platform that would eventually lead South Africa to a 153-run victory. He scored just 80, but his time spent at the crease, 247 minutes in total, was crucial.

This year, in the Boxing Day Test in Port Elizabeth, he scored his first hundred at number three. In difficult conditions, with a slow and low pitch, he stayed at the crease for 335 minutes.

Slow and steady is how Du Plessis likes to do it in Test cricket, and that was evident once again on Saturday at Newlands. He didn’t go on to get a big score, managing just 68, but he spent two and a half hours at the crease and survived some aggressive bowling form the West Indies.

After Dean Elgar was out early, dismissed for eight, Du Plessis spent much of Saturday nudging his way around the park. Urgency was not required at this stage, and it allowed Du Plessis to play his natural game. His ability to adapt to situations and conditions is crucial in South Africa’s transition from the Jacques Kallis era.

A solid and reliable number three, who is as comfortable against the new ball, if the openers fail, as he is against the slightly older ball, is vital in Tests. Du Plessis has not occupied the number three slot for long, but he has showed that he is a versatile batsman who reads the game perfectly.

Patience is key, and Du Plessis has buckets of it. Out of the 122 balls he faced in his innings, 88 were dot balls. Although he lost that patience on Saturday, getting out as he tried to go after Sulieman Benn, he has settled into the role with aplomb, and he knows that he can only keep on getting better. At the close of play press conference, Du Plessis said:

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I felt really good out there. I moved well and did the hard yards. As a number three, my role is to be as solid as possible, so for me it was disappointing not to go through to get the big score, but we now have the base to work from. I’ve set very high standards for myself.

"

Just 18 of his runs came in singles on Saturday, while a further 18 came in twos and threes. He bulked up the rest of his tally with eight boundaries, five of which came off Jason Holder. The ability to play different knocks, depending on the situation, is something that makes him invaluable to the team. Although he was needlessly dismissed in this Test, he had helped set the platform for South Africa to go on to a big target.

Du Plessis is far from completely settled in the number three spot, but he is blossoming in the role. If he continues at this rate, there’s no doubt that now, in the prime of his career, the runs will continue to flow.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.