Proteas captain Temba Bavuma is hoping to see an improvement from their batsmen in the second Test against the West Indies at the Wanderers next week.
Both the Proteas and West Indies are targeting improved performances when they battle it out in the second and final Test of their series at the Wanderers in Johannesburg from next week Wednesday.
The Proteas are one-nil up in the series after clinching a comfortable 87-run win in the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion, but the hosts did not have it all their own way.
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On the batting front they faltered twice, in the first innings they crashed from 219/1 to 342 all out, and in the second innings they only managed a paltry 116 all out, so they will be eager to improve drastically on that front.
Their bowling department, however, has a stellar game, with Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje both picking up five wicket hauls, while debutant Gerald Coetzee impressed and Marco Jansen continued his good form.
“I think the biggest thing is for our bowlers to get some rest. They need to get off their feet. I thought it was a big effort from KG (Rabada) and Annas (Nortje). So for them it’s just getting in some good rest,” explained Proteas captain Temba Bavuma.
“I think the batters need to get together again and have those conversations about our game plan. How we are going to adapt to the conditions. We came up a bit short in these conditions.
“Aiden (Markram) was the shining light with the way he played. So I think for the batters we need to have those conversations and do better next time.”
Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite is also targeting a massive improvement from his batsmen, after they largely failed in both innings, being bowled out for 212 and 159.
Brathwaite however believes that they don’t need to train more, and that it is more their mental attitude that they have to improve on going into the next Test.
“There is not much we can do. We will have practice sessions, spend some time in the nets and face the bowlers. But I just think mentally, when you get in, you have to find ways of staying in,” said Brathwaite.
“You have to know which balls you want to score off and know which balls you want to leave. We saw a few wide balls getting batsmen out. We just have to be more precise, on which balls to play and which to leave.
“It’s just a mental thing. We can’t do anything different, like going to practice and changing our technique. It is all mental. We got some starts but we didn’t get any hundreds. We just need some fight for the guys to carry those starts to big hauls.”
On the bowling front the Windies did well, With Alzarri Joseph picking up his first Test five wicket haul in the Proteas first innings and Kemar Roach notching up his 11th in the second innings.
“I am very proud of these bowlers. Coming from Australia where we didn’t do that well, and seeing how Alzarri and Kemar did, and Jason (Holder)this morning leading the bowling, it was superb,” admitted Brathwaite.
“Obviously those guys will get a few days rest and then we have to go in strong in the second Test.”
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