Klaasen: JP inspired me

If there’s one lesson the Proteas have learnt from Heinrich Klaasen’s whirlwind innings against India in the second Twenty20 international in Centurion on Wednesday, it’s that you can set him steep targets.

Following his match-winning 69 off just 30 balls, South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batsman revealed that it was actually a short talk in the middle of the pitch with skipper JP Duminy that inspired him. And the message was so simple.

“JP was the key factor to my whole innings,” confessed Klaasen, who belted seven sixes and two fours on his home ground.

“About the first or second over I was at the crease, he told me that over needed to go for 10 runs. He told me to play my natural game and take the bowlers on. When he gave me that target of 10 runs, it just took all the fear away. It’s also important to keep calm. There was a stage where I was swinging quite hard and realised it’s okay to take one and relax for a moment.”

Klaasen (below) was particularly severe on leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. He hit him for five sixes as the bowler was smashed for 64 runs in his four overs, the most runs conceded by an Indian and joint third most ever in international T20s.

“I faced quite a lot of leg-spin at amateur level. When I started playing there were quite a few quality leg-spinners in the system,” Klaasen added. “I’ve face Shaun von Berg a lot at the Titans too. We always made a joke that I need to attack and ‘finish’ off the other leg-spinners’ careers so that Shaun could move up in the pecking order! Jokes aside, tonight the strategy worked perfectly.”

But Klaasen knows only too well he will struggle to keep his place when Quinton de Kock returns from injury.

“He’s got nothing to worry about. He’s a world-class player and we are missing him.”

The deciding T20 takes place tomorrow in Cape Town.