Proteas look to get it right in the second Test against Black Caps
23 February 2022 - 15:13
by Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Sarel Erwee of SA drops a catch on day two of the first Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on February 18 2022. Picture: KAI SCHWOERER/GETTY IMAGES
The only thing on the mind of Proteas opener Sarel Erwee is to right the wrongs of the first Test.
SA suffered a heavy innings defeat to New Zealand last week, where they scored only 206 runs in two innings as they were dominated in the batting, bowling and fielding departments.
They meet again in the second and final Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch with SA looking to avoid another defeat and the Black Caps going all out to seal their first Test series win over the Proteas.
After a period of introspection, Proteas players are back at training, and Erwee said they want to correct the mistakes and improve as individuals and as a team.
“Physically you try to stick to what is called active recovery and mentally you go through your game plans and think about where you went wrong and what you did right,” he said.
“Those things you did right you have to stick to. Those you did not get right you have to find a way to adapt and reflect on how you are going to improve and get better.
“We don’t want to overthink things, but we want to correct the mistakes we made as a unit and as individuals in the first Test.”
To be able to bounce back, Erwee said, they must adapt to conditions.
“It is about adapting to conditions and putting our best foot forward, that’s basically it. We face tough conditions back home and it’s a case of adapting and watching the ball.”
The second match will be played at the same venue, and Erwee expects conditions to be similar to the first Test.
“Not much is going to change in the second Test. We have looked at the conditions again and it seems similar. We have had a chat about it and we are preparing well.
“If you look at the stats of the ground, there is not much of a difference the toss makes. I think the team that adapts quicker gets the upper hand. People might think that if you win the toss and bat first you’ll have the upper hand, but I think the team that adapts quicker and learns from mistakes early will get the upper hand.”
New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson does not expect his teammates to be focused on reclaiming the No 1 spot in the world Test rankings when they take on SA.
Another win over the Proteas would see the New Zealanders replace Australia at the top of the Test rankings. A draw would give New Zealand their first series win over the South Africans, and Jamieson stressed the squad would be thinking only about the task at hand.
“I think for the group, it’s about each Test as it comes,” Jamieson said. “There’s other things that just come through the work of each session and each day.
“While it’s cool to get those milestones and stuff, it’s not the focal point. It’s about us trying to back up that last game, and if we do that, hopefully we’ll come away with a win.”
Jamieson too is not expecting conditions to vary much from the first meeting.
“Hagley tends to be pretty much the same for the most part,” he said. “It’s certainly bowler-friendly, and it tends to flatten out as the game goes on.
“It’s the same sort of blueprint for us and just trying to back that [first Test victory] up.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Proteas look to get it right in the second Test against Black Caps
The only thing on the mind of Proteas opener Sarel Erwee is to right the wrongs of the first Test.
SA suffered a heavy innings defeat to New Zealand last week, where they scored only 206 runs in two innings as they were dominated in the batting, bowling and fielding departments.
They meet again in the second and final Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch with SA looking to avoid another defeat and the Black Caps going all out to seal their first Test series win over the Proteas.
After a period of introspection, Proteas players are back at training, and Erwee said they want to correct the mistakes and improve as individuals and as a team.
“Physically you try to stick to what is called active recovery and mentally you go through your game plans and think about where you went wrong and what you did right,” he said.
“Those things you did right you have to stick to. Those you did not get right you have to find a way to adapt and reflect on how you are going to improve and get better.
“We don’t want to overthink things, but we want to correct the mistakes we made as a unit and as individuals in the first Test.”
To be able to bounce back, Erwee said, they must adapt to conditions.
“It is about adapting to conditions and putting our best foot forward, that’s basically it. We face tough conditions back home and it’s a case of adapting and watching the ball.”
The second match will be played at the same venue, and Erwee expects conditions to be similar to the first Test.
“Not much is going to change in the second Test. We have looked at the conditions again and it seems similar. We have had a chat about it and we are preparing well.
“If you look at the stats of the ground, there is not much of a difference the toss makes. I think the team that adapts quicker gets the upper hand. People might think that if you win the toss and bat first you’ll have the upper hand, but I think the team that adapts quicker and learns from mistakes early will get the upper hand.”
New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson does not expect his teammates to be focused on reclaiming the No 1 spot in the world Test rankings when they take on SA.
Another win over the Proteas would see the New Zealanders replace Australia at the top of the Test rankings. A draw would give New Zealand their first series win over the South Africans, and Jamieson stressed the squad would be thinking only about the task at hand.
“I think for the group, it’s about each Test as it comes,” Jamieson said. “There’s other things that just come through the work of each session and each day.
“While it’s cool to get those milestones and stuff, it’s not the focal point. It’s about us trying to back up that last game, and if we do that, hopefully we’ll come away with a win.”
Jamieson too is not expecting conditions to vary much from the first meeting.
“Hagley tends to be pretty much the same for the most part,” he said. “It’s certainly bowler-friendly, and it tends to flatten out as the game goes on.
“It’s the same sort of blueprint for us and just trying to back that [first Test victory] up.”
Additional reporting Reuters
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