Rassie itching to get back in action

Proteas batsman ready to give it his all in Australia after injury-enforced layoff

With no experience of playing Test cricket in Australia, Proteas batsman Rassie van der Dussen will go into the upcoming three-match Test series on a clean slate.

The 33-year-old has been on the sidelines for the past few months, recovering from surgery on his left index finger, and says he is ready to give 100% to help his team in what will be a challenging tour Down Under.

Van der Dussen broke the finger during the second Test against England in late October, which led to his omission from the Proteas squads for the final Test of their UK tour and the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Now fully recovered, the middle-order batsman is keen to get some game time.

“It is good to be back in the camp and great to be among the boys again,” he said.

“This will obviously be a massive tour for us.

“I have been recovering for the last two to three months, so it has been a bit frustrating, but the time at home was good and now I am 100% ready to go,” he said in an interview with the CSA media team.

Van der Dussen admitted that the first few weeks of his recovery had been quite frustrating, but said he was happy he could get back to doing what he loved.

“The first two to three weeks were pretty frustrating because I could not really do anything.

“It is a finger, so you don’t realise how much you use it until you don’t have it.

“So the first month was quite tough, but it also built up that hunger to be in the camp again, and being at home, the rest and recuperation were needed.

“We have two weeks of preparation before that first Test and I am just really happy to be back.”

Van der Dussen likened the pace and bounce of the Australian pitches to that of his home ground at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, where he plays for the Lions.

“I may not have played here before, but I don’t think it will be too foreign for me, so I will be looking to work on the game plans which I have implemented back home and have been successful for me, then try to take that forward.

“It is going to be a really tough series both physically and mentally, so if I can get the technical game in order, then the mental side will be very important in hostile Australia as well,” the right-hander said.

On the upcoming contest Down Under, Van der Dussen said being able to play against one of the Proteas’ biggest rivals, on their home patch, was a bucket-list item.