Proteas take step into unknown over pitch against Aussies

The Proteas will take a step into the unknown regarding what conditions to expect when they face Australia in a crunch Champions Trophy clash in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

It has been two years since that venue hosted an ODI, though it was a high-scoring affair in which Pakistan chased down 337 to beat New Zealand.

Intel gathered from last week’s triangular series and the opening game in the Champions Trophy involving the host nation and New Zealand proved crucial to SA’s success against Afghanistan on Friday, Ryan Rickelton said.

The Proteas got their Champions Trophy campaign off to a perfect start with a 107-run victory over the Afghans, who many believed had the tools to effectively use conditions in Karachi, with the backing of a rowdy crowd. 

However, the Proteas already knew that spin was not going to be effective, but what they did not expect was the surface to be quite as familiar to them as it turned out.

Rassie van der Dussen compared the Karachi pitch with the Wanderers, skipper Temba Bavuma said it was a lot like surfaces in SA and player of the match Rickelton was pleasantly surprised too.

“I felt it was quite quick,” Rickelton, who grew up playing at the “Bullring”, said.

Those conditions turned the SA seamers into game breakers, with Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and even Wiaan Mulder thriving, sharing seven of the 10 Afghan wickets between them. 

“Our fast bowlers really got it through. Even Wiaan was getting it through nicely.

“It had pace, but variability of bounce made it challenging for the batters.

“We just had the bowlers with the extra height and pace who could exploit it,” Rickelton said.

They took heed of lessons learnt last week in defeats to New Zealand (though that match was in Lahore) and Pakistan, but also paid close attention to the Black Caps’ defeat of the host nation in the tournament opener on Wednesday.

“We chatted to the New Zealanders after their match and our decision to bat first was based on what we’d heard from them, that the pitch got tacky under lights and it spun a little.”

Meanwhile, Rickelton’s ludicrous summer form continued in his first ICC match, in which he made a maiden ODI hundred.

The left-hander spoke about how clear he was thinking presently, and that the foundation he was creating enabled him to thrive across all three formats. 

He has made two Test centuries and was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the SA20 this season, highlighting his ability to adapt to conditions at home. But Friday showed he was carrying that confidence on the road as well. 

“To dumb it down for myself, it’s about mindset and approach,”  Rickelton said.

“If you look at the guys like Travis Head and Shubman Gill, they all play similarly across all three formats.”

Obvious comparisons with Quinton de Kock were being drawn, especially by overseas viewers who have not seen much of Rickelton this summer.

The Champions trophy is SA’s first ICC event since De Kock announced his retirement from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup, and who would be able to replace him was always going to be a hot topic. 

There are similarities — both bat at the top of the order, are left-handers and keep wicket.

But Rickelton showed on Friday that while De Kock was heavily reliant on his strength square of the wicket, he was able to adapt and score effectively down the ground, particularly early in his innings. 

Only 15 of his 103 runs in Karachi were scored behind square.

“The wickets here can be quite skiddy, so as a group we emphasised trying to hit a lot straighter for longer. If it skids, you get bowled or [go out] lbw quite easily,” he said.