Johannesburg - AB de Villiers was at a loss to explain yet another batting meltdown suffered by the Proteas at the Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
One or even two such collapses can happen to any team, but South Africa in the last year have become masters of the implosion, and as their winless streak in Tests now sits at nine, it is a worrying trend.
Saturday saw them bowled out for their second lowest total (83) in the post-isolation period and it came just two months after they scored their lowest (79) in Nagpur.
“We try and slow things down, we had quite a few chats with the guys going in,” said De Villiers. “I tried everything I could personally and I believe my teammates did also, it’s difficult to explain how these things happen, you have to give credit to England.”
Indeed, Stuart Broad was superb. At one stage he picked up 5/1 in 31 balls, creating mayhem at the Bullring. However, the Proteas are clearly in need of batting rehabilitation.
They’ve struggled in all sorts of conditions from slow tracks in Chittagong, to spinning ones in Mohali and Nagpur and a seaming pitch at the Wanderers. Blame can no longer attached to the surfaces as Russell Domingo did after his team came back from India, for there is a fundamental problem – be it technical or mental – that exists with his batsmen.
They aren’t being helped by the selectors handicapping them with a player batting out of position. Stiaan van Zyl looked a broken man after yet another failure in the opening slot and the fact that Stephen Cook, a specialist opener with years of experience of doing the job in this country, hasn’t been selected, beggar’s belief.
The team is crying out for a batting coach, and in that regard there’s been lots of confusion lately with first Michael Hussey helping out in India while former skipper Graeme Smith helped out a day before the Newlands Test. That there are two bowling coaches, one of whom deals with the spinners, makes for an unbalanced look to the coaching staff. - Cape Times