Johannesburg – Players and management of the Proteas should now take a break from cricket.
Despite the fact that the two Tests spanned a total of six days, the buildup has been intense – before Lord’s and then onto Old Trafford, where South Africa’s terrible record was reinforced with their 11th defeat there.
The issues are crystal clear, and the batting continues to be the team’s greatest weakness. SA garnered justifiable credit for its four-pronged pace attack that dominated the first Test at Lord’s, but without runs on the board, it is illogical to assume that the bowlers will always bail out the Proteas.
The Proteas can therefore lighten their load by catching a play in the West End, playing a few rounds of golf, or perhaps attending one of Wednesday’s four Premier League matches in London.
Captain Dean Elgar reaffirmed that he will have candid chats with the players since that is his nature and what they expect from him. Even if the match in Manchester had gone the full distance, the Proteas’ management was aware that there would be a significant gap between the second and third Tests.
Hopefully, a balance can be reached between taking the necessary mental vacation and understanding when to switch gears in preparation for the series-deciding match that begins next Thursday at The Oval.
After long series pauses, South Africa have not always had the best results. In 2012, there was a nine-day gap between the first and second Tests in Australia, and the Proteas were sluggish for the majority of the second match, requiring a miraculous “blockaton” led by Faf du Plessis to keep the series level before going on to win in Perth.
Ten days passed between the second Test, which the Proteas won, and the third Test, which coincidentally also took place at The Oval, which South Africa lost.
In spite of the fact that, in principle, large periods between matches can be advantageous from a mental standpoint, history demonstrates that they can also lead to a lack of energy the next time the team plays.
Elgar stated that the players would engage in some physical workouts prior to the final game; ideally, this will be sufficient to bring them up to speed.
According to Elgar, South Africa has “a wonderful opportunity” to defeat England in a series for the first time in ten years. The Oval, like Old Trafford, is not a favorable hunting ground for the Proteas. They have only won there once, in 2012, when Hashim Amla’s remarkable triple century and Dale Steyn’s “five-for” in the second inning led to an innings triumph. Other than that, they have lost there seven times in 15 Tests, including four defeats in five matches since the end of their isolation.