By Zaahier Adams Bridgetown, Barbados
Proteas bowling coach Vincent Barnes believes a return to Barbados will suit South Africa's attack, and reignite the team's ICC World Twenty20 campaign.
South Africa played two warm-up matches at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown before travelling to St Lucia, where they lost to India by 14 runs at the Beausejour Stadium on Sunday.
South Africa's five-man pace attack was put to the sword by left-hander Suresh Raina, who off just 60 balls hit only the third Twenty20 international century in the history of the shortest format of the game.
He was particularly explosive during the final five overs, a period in which India scored a mammoth 75 runs.
Captain Graeme Smith's options were also limited as he only had one variation in the form of spin bowler Roelof van der Merwe.
The left-armer was also disappointing on Sunday, bowling just one over in which he conceded 13 runs. It was, in fact, his over that allowed India, and Raina especially, to create the momentum to kickstart their later acceleration.
The selection of Van der Merwe as the solitary spinner is a move away from the tactics which served South Africa so well in last year's World T20 in England.
Van der Merwe, in tandem with Johan Botha, outspun India last year at Trent Bridge, where South Africa defended a low score of just 131.
"I spent the whole day (Saturday) at the venue and spin hardly was a factor and it showed in all four games played there that the seamers took most of the wickets," Barnes said yesterday. "Barbados is a different venue where there is much more bounce, which will suit our attack, both spinners and fast bowlers."
New opening bowler Rory Kleinveldt, who was only playing in his second T20 international, also discovered on Sunday the harsh realities of bowling at the death in inter-national cricket.
There were factors such as the strong wind that played an impact in his disappointing performance - he conceded 25 of the 75 runs in one over - but will face a stiff challenge to hold onto his place now that Charl Langeveldt has recovered from a buttock strain.
Langeveldt is the most experienced bowler in the South African attack, and in fact, the only Proteas bowler to have played in the West Indies before.
Barnes, though, defended Kleinveldt's selection, as he believed there were "older hands" around to encourage the young fast bowler in Sunday's opener.
"Rory has been bowling well and bowled very well in the warm-up games, so we don't regret picking him it all," said Barnes.
"It did become a bit of a problem once the spinner only bowled one over as it meant Graeme (Smith) had to juggle his seamers around. But there was enough experience on the field. Execution under pressure was the problem."
The Kensington Oval track here does offer more bounce and carry, especially up front with the new ball, before slowing down as a match runs its course.
South Africa will look to utilise this tomorrow, especially as Afghanistan struggled against the short ball in their match against India.
Left-armer Ashish Nehra, who is not even particularly quick, delivered an abundance of short balls to the ICC tournament's fairytale team, and picked up three wickets, with all the batsmen dismissed caught behind attempting to play the hook shot.
South Africa may have to stop short of a "bodyline" strategy against Afghanistan, but the time has come for the Proteas bowlers to get nasty if they want to progress in the tournament.