It’s the start of a ‘new journey’ for this particular Proteas team
JOHANNESBURG: The Proteas are a good Test side, a still evolving Test side and a Test side that has plenty to more to offer and play for.
The no.1 ranking remains a goal. Finding a reliable third seamer is a crucial short term target to help them achieve that goal but in various areas, from the opening combination, to the frontline spinner they seem to be in a good space. Sri Lanka would be able to attest. The defeats just kept getting bigger for Angelo Mathews men; by 206 runs in the first Test, 282 in the second, and the series concluded with an innings and 182-run loss inside three days at the Wanderers where they faced just 88 overs in total.
For South Africa it’s a wonderful turnaround from where the side was less than a year ago. Losses to India and England, a stunningly inept World T20 campaign and then another failure in a triangular One-Day series in the West Indies didn’t engender much faith in the players or the coaching staff.
But series wins against New Zealand, Australia and now Sri Lanka have shown that lessons have been learned and that despite recent drama over Kolpak contracts those who take to the field for the Proteas do so with a clear focus.
“It’s the start of a new journey for this particular team after the trials and tribulations of the last year. We are not the finished article. There is room for improvement in every department,” coach Russell Domingo remarked.
He’s still pushing for consistency from the frontline batsmen, but feels that in JP Duminy, Man of the Match at the Wanderers, Dean Elgar, the man of the series and Stephen Cook that consistency is starting to occur.
“There hasn’t been a hot streak among the batters, but we are slowly starting to get there.”
Whether AB de Villiers will be involved at some point to strengthen the batting Domingo could not say. De Villiers is expected back from injury by the time of the third T20 International against Sri Lanka.
“We need to sit down and plan his future. AB’s got to make that decision...he has to make the decision that he’s available (for Test matches). He has to make some decisions about his future in cricket,” said Domingo.
The major concern is the bowling. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel remain sidelined and for the tour to New Zealand starting next month, South Africa will have to do without them. In helpful conditions at the Wanderers there were encouraging signs from Wayne Parnell and debutant Duanne Olivier, who shared eleven wickets, but Domingo and Faf du Plessis want greater accuracy and consistency from the third seamer.
“It’s great that they got wickets,” said Du Plessis. “We know with KG (Rabada) and Vern (Philander) at the moment they are extreme world class bowlers, they are relentless.
“The plan is now for the third seamer to get to that level, hitting areas consistently, making sure that when you’re not taking wickets runs, you are not leaking runs either. (Parnell and Olivier) will say they leaked too many runs in this game, but they got wickets so I want there to be one of both and luckily they both got wickets.”
Though he played no part in the final Test, Du Plessis was very pleased with the rapid development of Keshav Maharaj, who claimed seven wickets in the first two Tests, but as importantly conceded runs at a rate of just 3.14 per over.