In their three Test innings so far on their current tour to India, South Africa have not managed to get past a score of 220. They scored 184 and 109 in the first Test in Mohali, and were bundled out for 214 in 59 overs on the first day in Bengaluru. The pitch in Mohali was a slow one, and even India did not put up big totals. But the Bengaluru wicket on day-one was a proper batting one. The Indian openers showed no sign of discomfort for the 22 overs they batted on it, before the entire remaining four days were lost to rain.
All the Proteas batsmen barring AB de Villiers (85 off 105) seemed to have developed a mental block when facing India’s spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Their desperate heaves and sweeps to hit themselves out of that block did them more harm than good.
However, captain Hashim Amla insisted that it is only a matter of time before they string together a solid batting effort. He hoped that it would come in the third Test, in Nagpur.
“If I had won the toss, I would have batted first anyway. I thought it was a very good wicket. We just didn’t get going with any partnerships,” Amla said after the second Test was eventually called off on the fifth day morning.
“AB was exceptional as always, but unfortunately no one quite stuck around with him to post a big total. Although we got all-out for 214 and India were in a good position at the end of the day, there was a lot of time left for us to claw our way back into the game, and you’ll never know what could have happened.
“As a batting side, it would be great for us to have some confidence under our belts; we haven’t had any successful batting stints yet. But Nagpur is a different Test and hopefully that’s where it starts,” Amla said.
The concerns begin at the top for South Africa, with a very inexperienced opening pair of Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl. As a pair they have failed to get their team off to a good start with stands of 9, 8 and 15. But Amla, defended his openers, saying, “Opening the batting is the hardest thing in Test cricket”, and put the onus on himself and one-down batsman, Faf du Plessis, to hold the team’s innings together.
“Dean and Stiaan are our best openers and they are doing a good job for us. It is more about the fact that myself and Faf never got going. We only have ourselves to blame for it,” he said.
The four rain-marred days in Bengaluru must have given the visitors a lot of time to reflect on their batting woes. Amla said that while the introspection was done, it was also ensured that things are kept simple.
“We’ve had a lot of time to reflect. But you should not over-reflect. You try and be as positive as possible. We’ve had three innings that haven’t gone according to the plan. You talk about it but don’t overdo it and complicate it more than it already is. I am sure that in Nagpur Test we will come good,” the South African captain said.
