Even in the past era, which came to an abrupt end only recently, the likes of the Kallis’s and Smith’s choosing to retire when they could have carried on for much longer, especially Smith, who, although not in so good form, chose to step away from the game to spend more time with his young family, at the tender age of 33, they didn’t say die until they had lost, a trait that has been lost among the few that has been left of that era, a small clutch that keeps the current Proteas team together. Then everyone knew what they had to do, and some of the greats of the game were in it to help them not stray off.
But, when they left, it was up to the few that were left to take the mantle over from those who left, most notably Kallis, who was a batsman that kept them together every time, but also gave something extra with his surprising pace. Kallis, a batsman who so well illustrated the fading tendency to graft, and who did not give away his wicket without a fight, was the last of the lot who got themselves in, before gradually accelerating the more he got used to the pitch, after Smith had retired, a decision that made everyone jump, because they did not expect it with the many years that he had left.
It has, however, only made things more into the hands of the likes of AB de Villiers and the rest, and together with his senior partner Hashim Amla, has had to do most of the work. When there gets past them, it makes only the inexperienced middle-order, still not able to make their way into the side, and also the fact that one of the only other ones, JP Duminy, bats so down the order, and doesn’t really get enough of a chance.
Like all great teams, South-Africa has been able to find a way and match, perhaps even out-result the Proteas teams of the past, and how they managed to do that was mainly down to trio of De Villiers, Amla and Faf du Plessis, the trio which made other teams seem like they are not there, but both of the latter have been in patchy form, their vulnerability outside off-stump getting exposed where they haven’t batted before on such “diabolic” pitches, as current Aussie superstar Glenn Maxwell called it, in India.
Especially Du Plessis had not faced such quality spinners like the masterly Ravichandran Ashwin, and you can call it partly not through his own; the pitches was so unfavourable that India now can get fines up to 15 000 dollars from there being complaints of Ravi Shastri asking the groundsmen to nullify the threat of the tourists so much as they can.
If there was one word to describe why the Proteas suffered so much in India, it was inexperience; they had not been before then…a lot had been in One-Dayers but it can’t be said to be anywhere as near as the pitches that turn square from day one. Yes, one can argue that batsman must not use the state of the pitches as an excuse to hide the many technical problems that some have, but the pitches also must not hold batsman to join in.
In India you can expect pitches can turns, it will be so, otherwise it won’t be India, and as a batsman you must know how to block out when the ball turns, but also not shy away from the opportunity to punish the bad balls.
The series showed that the Proteas aren’t so-called “invincible” any more and that once they are put under pressure, because of so many key players that left them, other teams can also now win, where previously they were a team who has so much balance-they could adapt to what they needed.
An already settled One-Day side did well to come out on top against an Indian team that, after having a slow start, had got better the longer it progressed, but the real baptism of fire for a test team that, at least in the latter stages of the order was still trying to make their way back into the side. And for that, they must be thought of as a team that is trying to build its reputation up at the moment, and they did what they could on “diabolic” pitches, not of one that failed to live up to the name that has made South-African cricket what it is.
They must try to forget about it, but it will hurt because they had lost their first series in a long time, something that you just can’t get out of your head.
This is a team that has both openers still not sure of their place in the sides, Dean Elgar not doing enough by getting himself out, after he had got in and looked set to go and get a big score; Stiaan van Zyl getting exposed for his lots of problems when there is spin on offer; Du Plessis feeling outside the off-stump, and when the ball does a little he’s in trouble; Temba Bavuma fighting for the scraps when he is given his limited chances; and Dane Vilas trying too hard, with Quinton de Kock breathing in his neck with his fine form.
You can’t bargain that this all can be fixed before the long-awaited in a month’s time series at home against their historically arch-rivals England, and it probably won’t, but, although this may have caused them to doubt themselves, they always do well in conditions that suit them, at home.
Just think about it: a lot of the Proteas’ star-players are returning in time for when the first test kicks off, a bit of experience that could possibly bring a bit more know-how to the team, especially after their poor showing in India, and maybe the return to form for wunderkind Quinton de Kock, who was left out for India, amidst a lot of controversy, may be just the thing needed to inspire them to another win against the beaten-at-home English, namely in 2012 where an Amla that then got tons of runs was at his best. De Kock may be the safer option, because he has lots more years left than Vilas, as well as his ability to change the course of a match far quicker, and, of course, he can bat better, being handed more responsibility than Vilas, at the top of the order in One-Dayers.
But that all will be seen as just minorities before the series, is not going to happen, but players who have not made runs over the last while, have the best chance to do so where they started their cricket, and on pitches that they have become used to, it may not seem so far-fetched to counter a rampant English team, one who has not looked back since the World Cup, which may seem ages back.
The best thing that happened to them was maybe the sacking of two-spell coach Peter Moores, the previous experience of coaching teams like the always-then-feared Sri Lanka, Trevor Bayliss, while he was on the job, and he has done enough to suggest that the series can go any way, something that could not have been imagined than going into the hosts’ favour when the fixtures were announced some time back.
If the Proteas can bounce back, it still won’t signal that they are back, but after the largely unsuccessful tour of India, anything but a win will please the ever-demanding public, and the least they can do is to put up a better performance.