Cape Town - There is a good chance that Wiaan Mulder will make his Test debut in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, but even if he doesn't the future looks bright for the 21-year-old. 

The Proteas must beat Sri Lanka in the second and final Test to salvage a 1-1 draw from the series, and with Vernon Philander out injured there will be at least one change from the side that lost the first Test in dramatic fashion in Durban. 

Mulder, it seems, is the likeliest to get the call-up but the Proteas can also go in with an extra specialist batsman in one of Theunis de Bruyn or Zubayr Hamza. 

Addressing media at St. George's Park on Wednesday, Du Plessis opened up on the role he saw Mulder playing in the Test side in the years to come.

"The nice thing that Wiaan offers you is that he is an extra batsman," Du Plessis said.

"How I see him playing a role for the Proteas moving forward is as a batting allrounder. He can bat at No 6 or No 7 and give you that extra 10 overs you need in the field.

"I see him really featuring for us going forward.

"You can't say it's a blessing in disguise because Vern is our best bowler in these conditions, but Wiaan is a better batter than Vern is.

"He does bring a lot of balance to the team and we spoke about him before the first Test. Going forward he is a guy you want in the team all the time."

The second Test gets underway at 10:00.