Conditions will dictate Proteas tactics, says Van der Dussen

While England continue to shake up the longest format of cricket, retaining the risky ‘Bazball’ approach they have adopted this season, Proteas batter Rassie van der Dussen is not concerned that it’s going to become a standard global tactic as South Africa prepare for a three-Test tour of Australia.

Despite the England team again taking the fight to their hosts on their current tour of Pakistan, and the home side responding with equal ferocity, Van der Dussen felt the ‘do or die’ approach could only work in the right conditions.

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“As soon as the bowlers are a bit more into it then there’s a very fine line between playing aggressively and getting out, as opposed to playing more disciplined,” Van der Dussen said on the sidelines of a Proteas training camp yesterday.

“I suppose we can say we’re looking at what’s possible, but T20 has shown us what’s possible on a flat wicket, so I’m not too fazed by that. I think the conditions will dictate how you play in Test cricket.”

Unfair criticism?

Van der Dussen, who confirmed he had recovered from a broken finger ahead of the first Test against Australia in Brisbane next week, believed the Proteas batting line-up had been unfairly criticised for a lack of form over the last couple of years.

Provided the conditions were suitable, he felt they could get more runs on the board, and he was confident they could put up a fight against their hosts with both bat and ball.

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“The way I see it is that we’re sitting second in the World Test Championship at the moment, and that tells you that the cricket we’ve been playing has been sufficient to get us there,” he said.

“So I think sometimes people look too much into those stats. For us as a batting line-up we’re not looking for excuses, and we definitely want to get more hundreds and more partnerships and score a lot more runs individually, but at the end of the day if we can bat as a unit and get our team across the line, that’s the most important thing.”