Time for Proteas passengers to stand up
THE Proteas middle order has recently been a jolly good ride for some batsmen, with the bulk of the responsibility falling on a few dependable shoulders, writes Sibusiso Mjikeliso.
But the absence of AB de Villiers for the one-day internationals (ODI’s) and Tests against Australia means some middle order passengers will either have to step up or risk getting exposed.
JP Duminy, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, and to some extent Rilee Rossouw, have hidden behind the bats of Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and De Villiers in parts but the time has arrived for them to show their wares.
The Centurion pitch, the venue for the opening ODI against Australia, is expected to offer plenty of runs but few excuses. The Wanderers wicket, for Sunday’s second ODI, is infamous for its gifts to batsmen. The South African middle order has to accept them with both hands now.
Duminy and Behardien got starts in the triangular series in the West Indies in June but they could not join Amla on three figures. Amla was the only batsman who scored a century — 110 against the Windies in St Kitts. The terrible indictment of the middle order was that the Proteas did not win a single game chasing.
Behardien and Duminy’s half centuries in the Proteas’ 206-run win over Ireland in Benoni last Sunday showed that it is not a question of ability but application. Shades of the old Duminy also trickled back in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand in Centurion in August, when he scored a fluid 88. Behardien, too, is only missing the element of consistency to become SA’s next premier finisher. But Australia, over five matches, are not going to be the walkover the Irish were.
“I’ve definitely made one or two mental changes and a few technical changes in my game, which has contributed to some decent performances of late,” said Duminy.
“It’s a continuation of the performance I showed against New Zealand. I’ve gained some good confidence from the first innings of that Test. It was probably the best preparation for what is going to be a big series for us. I’m definitely happy with where my game is at the moment in terms of the practice sessions we’ve had.
“We’ll definitely go into [Friday’s] game with a bit of confidence. But you don’t want to read too much into those kinds of performances; you just want to take it day-by-day and give your best when you get onto the park. And spending time in the middle is the best place to be. That’s where you understand your game better … hopefully I can find that form I’ve been looking for for a long time.”
The Aussies have brought three rookie pacemen — Chris Tremain, Joe Mennie and Daniel Worrall — in place of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Pat Cummins.
De Villiers’s absence has evened things out a bit between bat and ball. But Duminy expects the newcomers to slot straight into the Baggy Greens like old veterans, as is traditionally the case with Australian greenhorns.
“One thing we know about Australia is that they always have good backup, so it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Whenever you play against any Australian team it’s going to be a tough challenge, no matter who’s on the park.
“We know we have to bring our A-game. We have to focus on our process and how we want to go about the game. In terms of mentality, things are the same.”