Runs, not tactics to blame for Proteas’ sticky wicket
Ottis Gibson's charges can't win the Test series against Sri Lanka anymore, but they can salvage a drawn result.
Ottis Gibson coach of the South Africa team having a chat with Wiaan Mulder (R) during the South African national cricket team training session at St George’s Park on February 19, 2019 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Isuru Sameera Peiris/Gallo Images)
Proteas coach Ottis Gibson said that a lack of runs was the difference between his team and Sri Lanka in the first Test at Kingsmead last week, and not their tactics on the final day.
That is why their focus ahead of the second Test – starting in Port Elizabeth on Thursday – is on scoring bigger totals.
South Africa made just 235 and 259 in Durban, but a target of 304 should still have been out of Sri Lanka’s reach, especially when they were 226 for nine.
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Kusal Perera then played an innings of rare quality as he plundered 153 not out for the most improbable of victories, alongside last-man Vishwa Fernando.
“We’ve spoken a lot since Durban about batting better, especially in the first innings.
“We believe the batsmen that are here are the best we have at the moment, but we need to produce bigger scores.
“We must do that if we’re going to win here in Port Elizabeth.
“There’s no focus on revenge, just on playing a bit better.
“I thought our tactics were spot-on both in the first and second innings, but you can get your tactics right and still have someone like Perera come along and play that sort of innings.
“He rode his luck, but we did everything we could.
“We threw everything at him. But sometimes in sport you get a day like that.
“It’s obviously tough to take but we just have to get better,” Gibson said at St George’s Park.
Gibson is going to have to make at least one change to the team that played in Durban, with Vernon Philander suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain which will keep him out of action for 10 to 12 days.
Given his comments about the batting, it will be interesting to see which way he goes in terms of selection.
Will he replace Philander with a like-for-like all-rounder in Wiaan Mulder, or return to a more traditional attack with four frontline bowlers and play six specialist batsmen?
Given that Mulder is seen as being more of a batting all-rounder – he averages 52.17 with three centuries already for the Highveld Lions in four-day cricket – the young man who celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday could well be the compromise that gives Gibson the best of both worlds.
Which would make Mulder Test cricketer No 336 for South Africa since it will be his debut after playing eight ODIs for the Proteas.
Not that Mulder’s bowling record is anything to be scoffed at.
The seamer has taken 50 wickets at an average of just 22.68 in his 16 four-day games for the Lions.
If Gibson decides to recall a specialist batsman, then Theunis de Bruyn and Zubayr Hamza are also in the Proteas squad.
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