Johannesburg — Coach Mark Boucher doesn’t want the Proteas, particularly the batters, to play “maverick cricket.”
It’s a term he has used often, and to be fair to them, the players have largely stuck to that ethos while still producing some polished performances in recent years, especially in the T20 format.
Just occasionally however, you would like to see them cast off the shackles. One such occasion was on Sunday when it felt like South Africa’s batters were taking just a little too long to get themselves set and not allowing themselves to play more freely.
The innings looked very methodical; 19 runs were scored in the first five overs, 21 in the second five, and the 20 runs between the 10th and 15th overs. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t brilliant either.
SA are entitled to play in that way, to “take a look”, “get settled” and then blast later through Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.
However, it does demand a lot of those two, and even before the critical double wicket burst from India on Sunday, that turned the SA innings and ultimately the match around, it seemed that the tourists were about 20 runs shy of where they should have been at that stage of their innings.
So, once India were able to apply pressure, and make boundary hitting difficult in the last 10 overs, SA were then faced with an inadequate total to defend.
Aiden Markram, who top scored with 79 on Sunday, and was one of the wickets to fall in that burst, felt the final total of 278 was a decent one, but also 15 to 20 runs short of what the team needed to make India feel uncomfortable.
He said he was frustrated, too, even during his 121-run third-wicket partnership with Reeza Hendricks, when a number of well struck shots found Indian fielders. That played a role in leaving SA with less than their mini-targets demanded.
Playing with greater intent earlier will help to alleviate some of the stress on the middle-order batters – something which, should they be successful in Delhi on Tuesday – the team will hopefully replicate at the T20 Cup, because scoring well in the powerplay is critical to the overall batting strategy.
Temba Bavuma’s status will be a point of interest again after he missed Sunday’s second one-day international with a mild infection. Hendricks made his fifth half-century in his last six international innings, continuing to build his case for a starting spot at the T20 Cup.
Bavuma badly needs the game time and, of course, a substantial innings in these ODIs to relieve the pressure on his shoulders. Failure to do so will push the selectors into a corner ahead of the Proteas’ opening match at the T20 Cup on 24 October.
Bavuma’s status as captain gives him some leeway, but even that has shrunk considerably, given Hendricks’ recent form and the fact the team coped well in England when Bavuma was absent.
Hopefully, the SA captain has recovered from his ailment for the series decider in Delhi and then for the couple of warm-up games the Proteas will play ahead of the T20 Cup Down Under.
Tuesday’s third ODI starts at 10am.
SQUADS:
INDIA – Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Kumar, Rajat Patidar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Rahul Tripathi
SOUTH AFRICA – Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (capt), Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo
