Who will reign in Durban?
running according to plan. Hopefully we can just get some game time and we’ll be ready to go.”
Du Plessis described Australia as a “particularly dangerous” team, especially with their main strikers (David Warner and Aaron Finch) up front. “But guys like that will always offer you chances and it’s important for us to try and get wickets early,” he added.
Du Plessis said that from a strategic point of view, the series was of less immediate importance to the Proteas because they are not grouped with Australia in the World Cup. “But it’s important to win this week because we want to take a mental edge over them into Bangladesh in case we meet them in the semi-finals or the final.”
Asked to comment on South Africa’s batting order, and how best to position his most destructive batsmen, Du Plessis said the issue was settled. “It’s important for me that guys become familiar with their roles, and that we don’t chop and change the order too often, something that I feel is very dangerous. We’ve had a very settled top six, and it’s been really successful for us.”
He confirmed that the experiment of playing AB de Villiers at the top of the order would not be repeated in Bangladesh. “AB is such a valuable player in the middle-order, and on the subcontinent that’s the period of the game when there is the most pressure on and it’s hardest to bat, so that’s when you need your best player.”