Gritty South Africa follow du Plessis's lead

If it is a hallmark of the best cricket captains that they are able to mould a team into their image, then Faf du Plessis passed the test on Monday (April 2). The day had barely begun when du Plessis incurred a painful blow to the right index finger from Pat Cummins, leaving blood spurting out of it. As du Plessis assessed the gnarly, crooked digit, his hand shook with pain.

Du Plessis' finger, like South Africa's cricket team, had a backstory. Two months ago it had been broken when the South African captain attempted to catch Virat Kohli in the first ODI in Durban, an injury that kept him out of the remainder of the series. By the time Australia arrived, the finger had healed sufficiently for him to take his place in the Test XI, but not quickly enough to afford some match practice in the build-up. Du Plessis played on regardless, out of sorts and out of form, and was hit on the same finger by Chadd Sayers on Sunday evening.

When Monday's blow was struck, there were questions over whether du Plessis could continue. Play was halted for close to 15 minutes as he received medical attention, but eventually, he had the finger strapped, popped a pill, and got on with the job. He cut a grizzled figure at the end of a long summer in which he has also been plagued by back and shoulder problems.

"I think that would have motivated him more," Dean Elgar said of du Plessis' busted finger, an analysis that was backed up by du Plessis scoring 57 from his next 72 balls. "It made him hungrier to stay out there and fight through the pain. That's his character when he's batting. It was awesome to see him not walk off, although knowing him he was never going to walk off. That's what leaders do and I never expected him to do anything else."

South Africa's backstory is the longest and most eventful season in many a year. Naturally, it has been one of the more injury-riddled. Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel have missed chunks of it. Dale Steyn has come back, and gone again. At one point, in the second Test against Bangladesh, all three were missing. Often Kagiso Rabada has been left to carry the attack, and with a day to play, has bowled 384 overs in all formats this season. A stiff back is the least one would expect in the circumstances. Philander has overcome the injury problems that dogged him last year to play eight straight Tests since Boxing Day, so some fatigue is understandable. And of course, Morkel has now picked up his second side strain of the season.

The task of finishing off the task of beating Australia should not be underestimated for such a battle-weary side, regardless of the mental state of the opposition. Yet on Monday, du Plessis showed the way, batting through the pain barrier for his first hundred this year. The innings put the series result beyond doubt, making it two straight series in which du Plessis has sealed the deal - against India at Centurion, he ground out a 141-ball 48 to carry South Africa to a winning total on a turgid pitch.

Despite that, his lack of runs in this series was weighing on him ahead of this Test. "I'm very happy for him," said Elgar. "Test cricket is such a ruthless environment that when you are out of form it can chip away at you and it can put you in a dark place. But you are only ever one knock from being back in form, that's the funny thing about professional cricket. He showed a lot of toughness and grit."

As did Elgar, who took his cue from his captain. Knowing South Africa needed to bat for time as well as runs because of their ailing attack, Elgar played out an epic 215 dot balls in the course of a five-and-a-half-hour innings. "I had to absorb quite a lot of the pressure and be able to set it up for a guy like Faf," he said. "You might find that he received quite a lot of soft balls that he was able to put away and I think that was all a combination of what happened last night." Elgar has now faced an incredible 858 deliveries in the series, over a hundred more than anyone else.

The third player to make their impact on the penultimate day of the summer was someone who should not even have been on the field. Morkel's second side strain is the same as the first, which put him out of action for 11 weeks last year. He was not expected to bowl in the second innings, but did, putting aside thoughts of what it might mean for a potential county deal. Early in his spell, he turned around to appeal for an lbw, right arm in the air towards the umpire, and immediately winced as he grasped his left side.

Somehow he put it aside, and went to the well one more time. Bowling eight overs on the trot, he struck two major blows to Australia and only stood down from duty when the fading light forced du Plessis to employ the spinners. "I think he should bowl like that more often," joked Elgar. "We've had a few bowlers that have pulled up with niggles and it was a bit of a concern for us if they would be able to bowl in the second innings. Thank goodness they could actually get through quite a few overs for us and bowl quite well on a wicket that is assisting them quite nicely. If we've got them running at 60% it's going to be awesome for us tomorrow."

Seven wickets stand between South Africa and a third straight victory in the series. Extend it further, and it would be their eighth win this summer, a remarkable turnaround for a side that left England in tatters last winter. For du Plessis, the series victory will represent his sixth win in seven series since he took over the captaincy. If it is a team made in his image, it is not only one with a gritty edge. It is a successful one as well.