Door opens for Cullinan Test recall

Daryll Cullinan has been given an unexpected opportunity to reclaim his Test match place with a late inclusion in the South African A team which meets India over four days starting in East London on Saturday.

Cullinan, who returned to first-class cricket last weekend following several months out after knee surgery, has been called up to replace Justin Ontong who has withdrawn with a hamstring injury.

He top-scored for the Highveld Strikers in both innings of a low-scoring match against Easterns last weekend, but clearly needs to do more to persuade the national selectors that he should regain his place in the Test side. At the same time, the pressure is mounting on Boeta Dippenaar, who batted at five in the first Test against India, scoring 20.

At the same time, it is likely that Dippenaar will be given another chance in the second Test, but if he fails again and Cullinan makes runs for the A team, the veteran of 70 Tests will have made a compelling case for his recall.

At which point the question of his selection for the tour of Australia will arise. He has suffered through two disappointing tour of Australia in the past, and in any circumstances would not be an automatic choice for a third visit, but if he is the Test match incumbent, it would hard for the selectors not to take him.

The position is further clouded by the lack of clarity over Jonty Rhodes. Although he has said that he does not wish to play Test cricket, the official United Cricket Board lines is that he can be called up for Test matches "in an emergency". Rhodes, who turned out for KwaZulu-Natal in the SuperSport Series last weekend, would quite clearly be a considerable asset in Australia with one middle-order position still not settled. Stretching this further, if a Test series against Australia does not qualify as an "emergency", then it is difficult to imagine what would.

In other changes to the A side, Dale Benkenstein will replace HD Ackerman, who had a shoulder injury, as captain, Garnett Kruger has come in for Charl Willoughby who failed a fitness test on Wednesday Kruger van Wyk has been called up for Thami Tsolekile who has a fractured finger.

South African A team: Jacques Rudolph (Northerns), Graeme Smith (WP), Martin van Jaarsveld (Northerns), Daryll Cullinan (Gauteng), Dale Benkenstein (capt, KZN), Justin Kemp (EP), Kruger van Wyk (Northerns), Paul Adams (WP), Charl Langeveldt (Boland), Andre Nel (Easterns),Garnett Kruger (EP). Twelfth man: Gulam Bodi KwaZulu-Natal