‘We will get better’: Proteas hungry for victory against Australia

Having extended their string of defeats against the tourists, Proteas captain Temba Bavuma insists his team will be ready to hit back when they return to the field for the second ODI against Australia in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Fresh off a 3-0 loss in the T20 International series last week, South Africa looked set for a comfortable victory in the first of five ODI matches on Thursday night.

Defending a total of 222 runs, the hosts had the Australians against the ropes on 113/7. They allowed their opponents back into the match, however, with Marnus Labuschagne (80 not out) guiding his team to a three-wicket win with nearly 10 overs to spare.

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With the Proteas players having returned from a five-month international break last week, Bavuma remained confident that they could find some form and gain momentum ahead of next month’s Cricket World Cup.

“The tactics are there and the players are there, but I think it all comes down to the execution,” Bavuma said.

“The guys haven’t played international cricket in a while, so it could be that they haven’t played at this intensity and simply haven’t adjusted to this level of a challenge.

“But what I can expect is that the guys will get better. These are world-class players we have within our team and we don’t expect them to keep making the same mistakes over and over.”

Bracing for battle

Despite the confidence he carried, however, Bavuma admitted they were expecting another brutal showdown against Australia in the second ODI starting at 1pm on Saturday.

With the skipper having put up a lone fight in the opening match, carrying his bat with an unbeaten 114-run contribution, he needed more assistance from the rest of his team, both with bat and ball, if they hoped to bounce back.

He admitted they were going to have to raise their game, with Australia showcasing superb form thus far on tour.

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“We expect a high-class (Australian) team – a team who will adapt to the conditions and not make it easy for us,” the skipper said.

“I think they will be a lot better with their batting, so that’s going to ask of us as a team to be a lot better.”