Donald: Proteas should consider all-pace attack

Cape Town - Former South African fast bowler Allan Donald believes that the Proteas need to play an all-pace attack against India at Newlands this week, should the pitch warrant it. 

The Proteas face off against Virat Kohli and his charges in the first of three-Tests, starting in Cape Town on Friday.

Donald suggested on Twitter that fast bowler Morne Morkel, who is in the 'form of his life', must play at Newlands despite the much-anticipated return of Dale Steyn.

Steyn needs just five more Test wickets to become the all-time leading wicket taker the Proteas in the longer format of the game.

He currently sits on 417 Test wickets while former Proteas all-rounder Shaun Pollock finished his career on 421, the current benchmark at national level.

READ: Conditions to determine Steyn selection

Donald, known as "White Lightning" during his career, thinks that spinner Keshav Maharaj should sit on the sidelines if the wicket has a little in it. This means a Proteas attack featuring Steyn, Morkel, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.

This would be a difficult call for the selectors, however, as Maharaj took his third five-wicket haul (5/59) against Zimbabwe in their Boxing Day Test last week, and opting to play without a spinner can backfire horribly, something Donald did note in his tweet. 

Donald, who is a former Proteas bowling coach, played 72 Tests and took 330 wickets for South Africa.

Play on Friday gets underway at 10:00.

@OfficialCSA selectors has a huge headache picking there team for the first test against @BCCI. One thing for me @mornemorkel65 has to play. Bowling quickly and in the form of his life right now. Crucial to get this bowling combo right! #ProteaFire

— Allan Donald (@AllanDonald33) December 30, 2017

@OfficialCSA I sincerely hope that we take on @BCCI on wickets that have a bit of spice in it! If that’s the case then I’ll play @VDP_24 @DaleSteyn62 @mornemorkel65 @KagisoRabada25 and leave out @keshavmaharaj16 - only ?? Is that Newlands can get very flat??

— Allan Donald (@AllanDonald33) December 31, 2017