Duanne Oliver had actually framed his Test cap with no hopes of a national comeback but after a surprise recall to the South Africa squad, the right-arm seamer is ready for a battle against none other than Virat Kohli. The 29-year-old Oliver, who made his debut in 2017, had 48 wickets from 10 Test matches before he decided on taking the KOLPAK route (which allows overseas players to play county cricket in the UK as it was then a part of the European Union) to represent Yorkshire. He harbored hopes of playing for England one day.

However, with Britain exiting European Union, Oliver’s hopes were dashed and he was back in his land of birth, playing domestic cricket before being named in the Proteas side for the three Tests against India starting Sunday. “This will be the biggest series of my career against world-class players and it’s an exciting challenge. I need to bowl to Virat Kohli. It will be tough but it will also be exciting, probably I will be bowling to one of the top four batters in world cricket,” Oliver spoke to Cricket South Africa’s media wing. For him, it would be like dream come true. Looking forward to one of the toughest competitions to date, it won’t be easy for him.

“For me, it will be like making a statement to them that we are here to compete and are not going to roll over. For me, it’s very important to start that first punch,” Oliver, whose sudden decision to dump the national team in 2019 had caused quite a stir. Some grass will be shaved off, Oliver feels Oliver firmly believes that South Africa can use the conditions to their advantage although all the grass that’s currently on view on the Supersport park’s 22-yard strip won’t be there on Boxing Day. “We need to use conditions to our advantage. We can’t get carried away.

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It might seem and might have bounced. I reckon some grass will be shaved. With a lot of rain being forecast, it’s not ideal for preparation,” Oliver assessed. Contrary to popular perception about the Centurion strip, Oliver feels that it will be “slow” to begin with on the first day and as the match progresses, the pace in the strip will be on the ascendancy. “I am more mature now, felt very welcomed” It is understood that his decision to migrate was primarily based on the selection policy where there was a mandatory quota for players of color. He is now back and believes that he has matured.

“It was a massive surprise as I didn’t expect a call-up at all. When I came back I felt very welcomed,” he said. But he understands that he has been away from the Proteas dressing room for three years and a lot of things have changed since then. “I haven’t been here for three years. So it’s a long time and it’s special for any person to play for the country. You reconnect those relationships with people you have played with three years ago. “You get to know everyone at a different level. At the end of the day, the job is to keep things simple,” Oliver understands that different equations will be at work.

However, what he has achieved as a player for South Africa is a thing of the past, he reckoned. “I think the expectation is also quite high but whatever I have achieved three years back is past. I am not trying to look at the past. I am a different person and this is a different squad, so you try to focus on what you want to do as three Test matches are massive.”