Johannesburg – After South Africa's poor showing with the ball in the first cricket Test against Australia at the Gabba, Morne Morkel says he and his colleagues are ready to adapt to the challenge and unfamiliar conditions at the Adelaide Oval.
“The wicket at the Gabba was a good cricket wicket; you needed to work hard to get the results,” Morkel said.
“As a fast bowler you understand it and that is the sort of thing you prepare yourself for mentally. I played a one-day game on our last tour. It's my first Test match here and there is a lot of talk about the ground and the wicket.
“For me, it's important to listen to those things and to try and learn from them, but also to experience those things for myself. As soon as you get caught up in different stories you could go down the wrong avenue.”
With the second Test set to start in the South Australia city on Thursday, Morkel said the team had worked on the no-ball problem which blighted their efforts in the first Test, with himself taking two wickets off two no-balls at the Gabba.
“It's a bitter pill to swallow (taking a wicket off a no-ball),” Morkel said.
“Especially because we know the quality of the batsmen at this level; you don't want to give them that extra chance. I think it is a matter of getting over it and trying to get on with the job.
“As a fast bowler I back myself; if I can get him out once I can get him out again.”
Morkel, who has taken 153 Test wickets, said the Proteas would practise hard in the lead-up to the match.
“We know what to do to lift our game,” he said.
“Over the next three days our intensity at training is going to be of a high quality. This is a very important tour for us and we are looking forward to the challenge.
“The number one spot is crucial, so we are not going to let it go that easily.” – Sapa