Du Plessis only 60% certain of playing Boxing Day Test

Du Plessis suffered a back injury more than two months ago. © Getty

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has given himself a 60 per cent chance of being fit for the Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth after a virus held back his recovery from shoulder and back problems. Du Plessis suffered a back injury more than two months ago and subsequently underwent shoulder surgery to address a longstanding issue, but it has taken longer than expected for both body parts to heal.

Speaking ahead of South Africa's final training session on Sunday (December 24), du Plessis said he had been an 80 per cent chance of playing until he experienced discomfort on Saturday. Should he miss out, Dean Elgar is expected to lead South Africa although du Plessis said that decision would only be made once the final XI was known.

"My progress was really good over the last two weeks, but I picked up a virus last week which has slowed me down a little bit," he said. "Right now, where we stand, I'm trying to get to practice today and see how it feels. I practised yesterday with it and there was still a bit of pain in the back and the professionals say when there is pain in the disc, there is still a bit of risk so we'll see how it works (today) and then assess it tomorrow as well. Last week I was 80-20 for playing, now it's probably 60-40."

Should du Plessis be passed fit and take the field, he will do so without any competitive cricket under his belt. The 33-year-old missed the whole of the Ram Slam T20, and has not played since he was carried off the field during an ODI against Bangladesh on October 22. While a Test against Zimbabwe should allow an easier return, the concern is for du Plessis to be fully fit and have some game time under his belt in time for the first Test against India on January 5.

"It's always nice to have time in the middle, there is no substitute," he admitted. "I have been feeling really good in the nets. I've had some time when the guys were playing Ram Slam. I was working with Neil McKenzie in Cape Town and faced Dale (Steyn), also trying to see where he was at. It was a great opportunity for me to work with him. If you ask me, I want to play cricket. That's always the most important thing. I'd rather feel good and play no cricket, than play cricket and not feel good."

Although Steyn is part of South Africa's squad for the first time in over a year, his participation is still to be decided. Du Plessis confirmed that left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj will play, with South Africa expecting good batting conditions for the two daytime sessions of the day-night encounter to create the need for a spinner rather than an all-pace attack.

While Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel look set to join Kagiso Rabada in the line-up following their return from injury, Steyn's fitness still needed to be assessed after South Africa's final training session at St George's Park. The 34-year-old's only longform cricket since breaking a bone in his shoulder last November came this week when he played two of the three days in Paarl, where a South African Invitational XI faced Zimbabwe in a day-night warm-up game.

If Steyn's readiness for the rigours of a Test match remains uncertain, du Plessis is pleased that his fast bowling stocks are filling, given that Steyn, Philander and Morkel were all absent from South Africa's last Test in October. "That's the position we want to be in rather than position in the past where we've had a lot of injuries. It's important how we manage that. Dale, Vernon, Morne, everyone has come back and it's important how we get them back into playing cricket," said du Plessis.

"Dale, in terms of the amount of overs he has bowled leading up to the first Test, it's important to assess how ready he is to bowl at full intensity, where we want him to be. That's a discussion that will take place after today. You want a Dale at 100% ready to go when he plays. If we feel that after today he is there, we will make a decision. If we feel he isn't quite where he needs to be from a Test match intensity point of view, there is still enough time to get him ready before that first Test against India."

South Africa must also decide whether to play six batsmen and five bowlers or seven batsmen and four bowlers. Du Plessis admitted to having one eye on the India series, which could have a bearing on selection for the Test against Zimbabwe.

"I would be lying if I say I wasn't," he said. "We are preparing for a big summer and this is a stepping stone to that. We are already thinking balance of the team, trying to think of combinations that would be best suited to beat India. But that is also determined by whether I am playing or not, that affects the balance of the team."