South Africa ponder Steyn fitness for Delhi

For the next ten days, South Africa will have to realign their expectations. The nine-year unbeaten run away from home is over. They will be hurting because of that - it was a hugely proud record in an era when teams struggle manfully outside of their own shores - but once refreshed from the disappointments of Nagpur they may also see it as an opportunity.

Hashim Amla will not want a 3-0 scoreline on his CV, but Delhi is a chance for them to play with freedom and not be overly worried about the final outcome. If they want, they can also stop pretending they are happy with the pitches.

Their first taste of being unshackled came at the Pench Tiger Reserve, 80 kilometres outside Nagpur, where they tracked down a tiger who even posed for pictures. The photographer in chief was Dale Steyn, who remains on the tour despite missing two-and-a-half Tests with injury, and whose participation, or lack thereof, in Delhi could be one of South Africa's key considerations.

On the face of it, there is no reason to risk Steyn. In fact, the talk throughout the week was that only if South Africa won in Nagpur and Delhi was a decider would they go to every effort to ensure Steyn was ready for a final showdown. But now that Delhi is a dead-rubber, Steyn does not need to be hurried back, except that what looms for the South Africa could make it a tricky decision for the selectors.

Less than three weeks after South Africa return home from India, they will begin a four-Test series against England, for which they need Steyn fit and firing. If he is able to play the Delhi Test, they may want to give him overs in the legs as a warm-up for the home matches, especially as the man himself has admitted he performs better once he has bowled competitively, although there is a round of Sunfoil matches before the Boxing Day Test that Steyn could conceivably play in.

If there is any doubt about Steyn's availability he will be given the extra days off because South Africa will not want to deplete their resources even more. They are already in danger of being without Vernon Philander, who is recovering from torn ankle ligaments, for the early part of England series. That will also mean South Africa pondering giving their reserve seamers - Kyle Abbott and Marchant de Lange - a run in Delhi and resting Kagiso Rabada, who has played every match on tour and may be required to do the same against England.

They may also want to give their reserve batsman, Temba Bavuma, time in the middle after what has been a month of carrying drinks. Although there is no obvious spot for Bavuma in the line-up, Stiaan van Zyl's misfiring may have run its course and Bavuma could be asked to prove his versatility as a result. But if they want to be fair to Bavuma and open a spot in the middle for him, they will have to ask AB de Villiers to keep and drop Dane Vilas, who could be facing the end of the road anyway.

Vilas' body language says it all. He went from looking up keenly at big-screen replays of the byes he conceded to see how he could better his technique, to bowing his head in disappointment every time an image of him committing a blunder came up. He is unlucky in that he was given a difficult job to do in a difficult place to do it - claim the Test wicketkeeper's spot on the subcontinent - but luck can sometimes determine who makes it and who doesn't.

For now, South Africa have resisted the temptation to recall Quinton de Kock but it is unlikely they will able to do that for much longer. As harsh as it would be to take the gloves away from Vilas mid-series, it may be the only way of gauging whether someone like Bavuma or even the extra spinner, Dane Piedt, merit a more permanent place in the line-up.

This kind of experimental talk is usually unheard of in Test cricket. Even when there is seemingly nothing to play for, teams like to put their strongest XI forward. But South Africa have been unable to do that throughout the series as injuries have interfered with their equilibrium. They have been off balance for all three matches and it would be brave of them to deliberately leave themselves that way to prepare for what is ahead. Still they can do it without fearing the consequences because the challenge of this series has proved a step too far. The next challenge, though, is just around the corner.