Johannesburg — Sometimes there can be a myriad of reasons for a loss as comprehensive as the one suffered by South Africa in the second Test at Old Trafford — sometimes there is just one.
For the Proteas it was the latter. “First innings runs kinda stabilises your game,” said captain Dean Elgar. “I didn’t think we batted particularly well.”
There you have it. Not selection, not the toss, not the fact he didn’t utilise his fast bowlers properly at a crucial stage after lunch on day two. The Proteas batted badly.
There had been signs against New Zealand and then in the home series with Bangladesh that a corner had been turned. Batting collapses had been a regular feature when Otis Gibson was coach and which continued through to the tour to Pakistan in 2021, but South Africa had started to look like they had left those days behind them.
In the six Test innings before heading to England they scored totals of over 350 runs four times.
There is an awareness in the group that they are not the super batting unit of the Proteas teams of 2008 or 2012 which featured a handful of greats with averages over 40. However by producing a unified effort they could put up sufficient runs and bat for long enough that their potent bowling attack could do its thing.
When the batting has let them down during this recent run of success, it has properly imploded. There knocked over for under 200 in both innings in the first Test against India last summer. In the first Test in Christchurch, they were blown away for 95 and 111, and at Old Trafford it was 151 and 179. You can’t win Test matches batting like that.
“If you score 300-plus you’re giving yourself the best chance to compete and getting the result in your favour. We got half of that,” Elgar remarked.
There’s also no mystery about where the problem is. “The bottom line is we need runs from that middle order. At the moment that is letting us down quite a bit — that’s the truth. The guys don’t want to hear it, they know it already.“
Elgar added that ahead of the deciding Test at The Oval next week a “few tough decisions”, will have to be made. There’s no mystery either about at least one of those decisions. Aiden Markram has had a long and wretched run in the Test side, and his two dismissals in Manchester illustrate a player who has lost his mojo in the longest format.
For Elgar, who is close friends with Markram, that conversation about his likely — and entirely justified — axing will indeed be difficult.
Of course Rassie van der Dussen’s absence because of a fractured index finger will mean another change to the starting team and it is likely to be a rookie middle order that plays at The Oval.
That comes with its own concerns, but when players have had as many opportunities as Markram has and don’t use them, there is no option but to throw inexperienced players like Ryan Rickelton and Khaya Zondo into the fray.
There’s a lot of time until that final Test and Elgar said that after the players take some time off, there would be a period of team building. “We have some time away which was already planned prior to the tour. We’ll definitely use that time for a bit of connection within the group (although) it’s not like it’s disconnected, but let's touch base again, pull ourselves towards ourselves, and don’t forget why we are here.” Elgar explained.
“We are still in a great position to win a Test series, we’ll have a few days away, but no club cricket (will be played). I’m sure there’ll be some physical activities planned by the coaches where we will do things as a squad. So clear the minds and let the dust settle after this and then focus on the third Test. I can’t wait for that third Test to start.”
IOL Sport