SA vs ENG | Keegan Petersen receives maiden South Africa call up

Having clinched the Boxing Day Test match at Centurion, South Africa are looking to finally gain some momentum in the World Test Championship having lost their first three games India. While the hosts put up an all round performance against an “ill” England side, they have lost their opener Aiden Markram.

Markram has been ruled out of the four match Test rubber after he fractured a finger while fielding in the series opener. The Proteas have named uncapped Keegan Peterson to replace the opener who was on string of low scores since the lone half century against Sri Lanka.

Petersen scored 111 for South Africa A against the English in a tour match in Benoni last week, and made 155 for Northern Cape against Western Province in Kimberley last month in a second-tier first-class game - his most recent innings at that level, which seemed to have attracted the selectors attention. The uncapped batter has scored 15 centuries in his 149 first-class innings, which have brought him 5,490 runs at an average of 40.66.

Although it seems likely that Petersen will be making his debut in Cape Town with top order options like Pieter Malan and Rassie van der Dussen already in the side and Temba Bavuma, expectedly, making a comeback. But his inclusion will facilitate balance the racial composition of a team who put seven white players - two more than the maximum permitted - on the field at Centurion, he being a black player.