Gqeberha: South Africa's batting coach, Ashwell Prince, believes that his team still has a chance in the ICC World Test Championship match against Australia in Gqeberha, despite the rain affecting a large portion of the first two days of play.
Difficult Match Conditions
Only 43 overs have been bowled during the first two days of the match, and at the end of the second day, the Proteas (South Africa) are finishing their first innings with 97 runs for 5 wickets. They still have a long way to go to remain competitive for victory in this match and to win the three-match series.
However, Prince has not lost hope and, as a former South African player and current coach, suggests that there is still enough time for his team to achieve a favorable result.
Temba Bavuma's Key Role
He said, "We still need to play well. The ball is moving, and I think it will move more during the match." Prince pointed to the special conditions of the pitch and added, "The weather conditions before and during the match, along with humidity and rain, may have made the pitch softer than usual. At ground level, some holes are forming. If the sun comes out, these holes may become firmer, and the ball may move faster. We don’t know what will happen. So we say we can only see the pitch's characteristics as long as both teams take their turns to play."
If the Proteas want to post a good total in their first innings and give their strong bowling attack a good chance to play, they will need more patience from captain Temba Bavuma. Bavuma ended the second day unbeaten with 41 runs, and his efforts in the difficult conditions of Gqeberha have been impactful.
Prince further stated, "One of the big positives in Temba's game today was his decision-making. There is usually a lot of discussion about technique and technical issues. But I think his decision-making has been outstanding so far. Right now, the captain is fighting, and we hope some teammates will join him. That’s why we love this format."
