Five things Proteas must get right

Zaahier Adams lists a few pressing concerns that the Proteas have to address over the course of the next five days at Newlands.

LOSING the first Test in a four-match series should never lead to panic. The Proteas have proved their ability to bounce back before, and will no doubt want to preserve their world No 1 Test status with all their might over the course of the next three Tests.

However, there are a few pressing concerns that need to be addressed over the course of the next five days at Newlands if they are to head to the Highveld at 1-1.

1. Lead from the front Mighty#

This Proteas side desperately needs someone to pick them up off the canvas and it has to be none other than their captain, Hashim Amla.

There are plenty of young players within the Proteas set-up at the moment and it will be truly inspirational if they can sit back and watch their skipper take the challenge to England head-on.

There were encouraging signs at Kingsmead that Amla was rediscovering his touch when he pulled Steven Finn strongly through the leg-side but unfortunately for the home supporters, he could not convert a positive start into something really significant. Amla’s class is unquestionable and England have traditionally felt the full brunt of his artistry. Newlands will be no better place to remind the tourists of that.

2. Get the top-order mix right

Amla is only part of the top-order malaise. South Africa’s selectors simply do not want to pick a specialist opener within their Test squad to join Dean Elgar and are paying a heavy price for juggling around middle-order batsmen.

What more must Stephen Cook do to get chosen for the national team? If carrying his bat against the tourists in a warm-up match was not enough, the Highveld Lions opener followed it up with an unbeaten 168 in his next first-class match!

Let’s all hope the heatwave Cape Town is experiencing doesn’t scramble their decision-making entirely and they indeed select Rilee Rossouw for Newlands, at the expense of an out-of-form Stiaan van Zyl.

I know I’m guilty of sounding like a stuck record already, but Van Zyl remains a player of real talent and potential. He is just not an opener and the hope that he will be transformed into one is doing an injustice to his international aspirations.

Rossouw does have a tendency to be overly-aggressive by often playing loosely outside the off-stump, but he does at least have the character and experience to handle the pressures of international cricket having become a regular in the Proteas ODI team.

South Africa need solid starts against a top-quality English attack as the middle-order is being exposed far too early these days.

3. Don’t over-burden “KG”

Expectedly stepping into Dale Steyn’s massive shoes for the marquee Test of the series is no easy task. If you’re just 20 years old and have only worn Test whites three times previously, the task is even greater. It’s for this reason that the expectation on Kagiso Rabada, pictured, should not be excessive.

His added pace will be a genuine asset to the Proteas at Newlands, but the way he is going to be utilised will be crucial to the success the young tearaway achieves. Short and sharp bursts aimed at attacking the English lineup will be advisable.

4. Catches still win matches

A team that is struggling as much as the Proteas at the moment can’t afford to be offering the opposition batsmen a couple more lives. Straightforward catches were dropped, especially behind the stumps, in Durban which proved very costly.

Catching is generally a confidence thing and the Proteas certainly don’t have an abundance of it at the moment, but the home team needs to execute the basics with precision if they are to stand any chance of getting back into this series.

Holding on to chances that come their way will be a big step in the right direction.

5. Soak up the Newlands atmosphere

There are few grander occasions in five-day international cricket than the New Year’s Test at Newlands. Only the Lord’s Test and the Boxing Day Test at the MCG can rival the Cape clash as spectacle on the global cricket calendar.

With the “old enemy” here this summer, the most picturesque ground in the world will be packed throughout and will be buzzing even before the first ball is delivered on Saturday morning.

Of course, the travelling Barmy Army will be in full voice and offering their team tremendous support, but Newlands is the Proteas’ “home”.

Only Australia have lowered the South African flag in a Test in Cape Town post-isolation, and the Proteas will no doubt be motivated to return to a happy hunting ground.