This archive report was first published on 26 December 2019.
On Thursday, England won the toss and decided to bowl first in the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park. The decision was made by England captain Joe Root, who explained that the live grass on the pitch made it an opportunity to exploit.
Root's decision was not a surprise to South African captain Faf du Plessis, who said that his team would have batted if they had the opportunity. However, du Plessis acknowledged that the conditions at SuperSport Park can change throughout the game, with the cracks opening up and the bounce becoming more unpredictable.
England's team included all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was in the team despite his father's serious illness. According to a team spokesman, there was no change to Ged Stokes' condition, which was described as 'stable' on Wednesday. Three other England players, Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes, and Jack Leach, were ruled out of the game due to illness and were in quarantine at the team hotel.
England's team also included opening bowler James Anderson, who was playing in his 150th Test. Root praised Anderson's achievement, saying that it was an 'incredible achievement' for a fast bowler to be fit enough to play in 150 Tests.
South Africa's team included two new caps, batsman Rassie van der Dussen and batting all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius. The match was umpired by Kumar Dharmasena and Paul Reiffel, with Dharmasena also serving as the TV umpire. The match referee was Andy Pycroft.
