The beleaguered Proteas batsmen are decided to grasp the initiative and again up their bowlers to stay alive in the sequence when the second Test towards Australia begins at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day.
In a recurring theme for the present South African facet, Australia may solely rating 218 and 35/4 in the first Test on the enigmatic Gabba pitch, however that was nonetheless sufficient to safe a simple victory as the Proteas may solely muster 152 and 99 in their two innings.
Now, in the showpiece occasion of the Australian cricketing summer season, with an anticipated crowd of 65 000 on the opening day, the Proteas batsmen are beneath the highlight, their potential to get up to one in all the greatest assaults in cricket being questioned.
“We’re very excited, a Boxing Day Test at the MCG is what dreams are made of,” batting coach Justin Sammons mentioned on Friday. “It’s a particular problem and we must simply embrace it.
“Our bowling unit has been unbelievable in the World Test Championship and our batsmen really need to pull their weight and contribute. We’ve acquired to hold the perception and we do have it.
“We’re up towards one in all the greatest assaults in the recreation, so we’ve acquired to be robust in defence, get into good positions, and if there are alternatives to assault and rating, then we’ve acquired to take them.
“We know we didn’t bat to our potential in Brisbane, but the guys are determined to get it right and I’m confident we will. We really need to be on our game,” Sammons mentioned.
Although the MCG pitch isn’t as inexperienced as the Gabba monstrosity was, Sammons mentioned it’s softer and South Africa’s bowlers will certainly be hoping it will get firmer in the couple of days remaining earlier than the essential Test begins.
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But the assault may very well be lowered in phrases of personnel as South Africa desperately attempt to bolster their batting, maybe by together with Theunis de Bruyn in a seven-strong batting line-up. “Theunis is looking really good in the nets, coming off a century at home just before the tour. He’s always up for a challenge and his biggest attribute is the positive energy he will bring,” Sammons mentioned.
Whatever the beginning XI that coach Malibongwe Maketa, captain Dean Elgar and convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang settle upon, the Proteas want to harden up mentally in order to push again the assured Aussies.
“The work we’re doing is mostly in the mental space. The players need to have clear game-plans, commit to them and be decisive. Obviously they are always touching up on a couple of technical issues too, so they can trust their games,” Sammons mentioned.
“But we’ve got performed our greatest cricket when we’ve got been behind and we’ll take confidence from that. Against India and New Zealand at the begin of the yr, we got here again strongly.
“So we are not afraid, we are up for the challenge and we know we have done it before,” Sammons mentioned.
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