Proteas Test debut a happy moment for Dolphins spinner Prenelan Subrayen

Dolphins off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen is set to don the Proteas Test baggy green for the first time in the second Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday.

Subrayen comes into the playing side, replacing the injured Keshav Maharaj. The 31-year-old has earned the opportunity having been a consistent performer for the Dolphins in the Four-Day competition for many years.

The off-spinner will make his debut after having played over 70 First-Class matches, returning 242 wickets and 12 five-wicket hauls at an average of 27.94.

Subrayen received his Test baggy green cap from Maharaj himself, a fitting moment given that the two had played together at the Dolphins since starting their journey.

"Receiving my cap from Keshav is a cherry on top kind of thing. Keshav and I have been friends for a very long time, as well as playing for the Dolphins for a very long time," Subrayen told the media on the eve of the second Test.

"With his achievements over the years, I think he's not only a role model, but a friend off the field as well."

Subrayen described the moment as a happy moment for himself and his family.

"Definitely a very happy moment for me. It was both my parents ... I think it was a dream of theirs to finally see me play for South Africa, and they are really ecstatic. My dad's a Level 3 coach. But I think the role that they played, as well as both my sisters, has been massive for me, right from the junior levels right till now," said Subrayen.  

"It's been a case of no pressure being put on me and just being allowed to express myself on and off the field. It's a great feeling. It's a lot of hard work that has been put in behind the scenes as well as on the field. 

" I think it's just been family. The bond between family and the close-knit between me and my family has definitely been the main driving force for me. You go through different phases in your domestic career, and I think I've been through most of them, the ups and downs."

Subrayen is a newbie in the Test environment, but feels welcome in the squad as he has experience being coached by Shukri Conrad.

"I'm kind of new to the change room. I was fortunate enough to work with Shuks in one of my National Academy years, so he kind of knows me pretty decently as a person on and off the field," said Subrayen. 

"I think he managed one of our football teams as well when I was in National Academy, so he kind of knows me off the field as well. 

"He kind of knows my character, so that definitely made it easy for me to fit in, as well as a lot of the guys within the set-up playing against them over the years and playing in the same team as most of them. It definitely made it easy to fit in."



The second Test is set to get underway on Sunday in Bulawayo.