Final word: Proteas coach calls for SA to play on better pitches at home

It was as if the mist had cleared – both metaphorically and literally – on the sunny final day of the Test series in Australia as South Africa lost only six wickets to secure a draw in the third Test on Sunday, but stand-in coach Malibongwe Maketa said the Proteas need to be honest about their batting woes and called for them to play on better pitches at home.

When the misty drizzle and showers finally stopped in Sydney at lunch on the fourth day, Australia had declared and South Africa had to ensure they did not lose 20 wickets in five sessions. They lost six before stumps on the penultimate evening and it took their best batting performance of the series on the final day to secure a draw that would have been a given for most other sides.

“It was quite encouraging the way we fought, we knew we had to bat well above average and we showed glimpses of what we have,” Maketa said.

Read more: Elgar proud of Proteas’ final day response – ‘We could lie down or fight’

“But it’s important to be really honest about where we are. It’s really been tough and we have lost to a better team who are more skilled and experienced than us. We want to be competing against the top three sides, but we don’t have the Test caps they have.

“The stats show that South Africa is the most difficult place for batting, but we have found a way to win at home that works for us. But we need to decide whether our younger batters need to be exposed to better pitches so they build confidence; or do we just want to win at home even if it makes it hard for those coming into Test cricket?

“In terms of the bowling, how are we challenging our bowlers to rely on control? We want to be successful all around the world, we don’t want to be a team that just wins at home,” Maketa said.

Frustrating

The interim head coach said it was especially frustrating to see the Proteas batters not take advantage of two good batting pitches in Melbourne and Sydney, where Australia ran rampant, scoring more than a thousand runs for the loss of just 12 wickets.

“The conditions were better than what we have played in for the last 12 months and 350 was a par score. Unfortunately we were not able to do that,” Maketa said. “First-innings runs are clearly very important to get your bowling attack operating properly, roaring in.

“We need a lot more exposure in terms of first-class and Test cricket. I know CSA are working hard to get us playing more; these guys have to, to grow as players.

“We didn’t have enough first-class experience to compete at this level, especially with the bowling attack we were up against. When you look at the players back home, I’m sure they are thinking this is an opportunity to put their names forward, so that is quite exciting.

“We know what we have and the talent coming through, but if they don’t get exposure, it won’t help them grow and it will be difficult to compete the way we want to,” Maketa said.

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