KIMBERLEY – The Momentum Proteas will host India women in their second One-Day International on Wednesday at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.
SA, who are 1-0 down in the three-match series, hope to level up against the visitors this time.
Assistant coach, Enoch Nkwe believes that the desired result will take care of itself if the basics of the three aspects of the game and the players’ skills are executed correctly.
“The team has been grafting hard, which is exciting to see,” he commented. “It’s a pity it didn’t click on Monday, but that’s only because we didn’t execute our basics well. We’ve spoken about it and the processes that we have put in place and I strongly believe that come Wednesday, the team will perform a lot better.
“The most important thing for us is how we bounce back from this experience, within (the space of) one day and actually execute our game plans better to get a positive result.”
The batting unit were found wanting on a slow wicket that required patience upfront, but Nkwe is confident that the team has assessed the conditions correctly and will put a better foot forward in their next encounter.
He said that because the turnaround time between the first two fixtures was so short, it helped in focussing the their attention on the immediate mission, which is to bounce back strong, rather than to focus on the disappointment of the previous day’s performance.
“Losing a game of cricket while playing for your country is always going to be disappointing but we don’t have time to sit on that and let it affect us. We need to focus on what we can control and that’s how to approach Wednesday's game and we’ve done that.
"There’s a good vibe and energy in the team and I’m confident that come Wednesday, we’ll be ready for the challenge of getting the positive result and putting ourselves in a position to win the series.”
When asked about the improvements he hoped to see from his charges, the coach said: “I think patience with our basics is a major key and mastering the simple plans that we have put in place.
"That alone will make a massive improvement. There is a strong belief in the team environment that we can overcome what we’ve experienced and come out better and more successful on the other side.
"At the moment, the focus is on us and what we need to do and the rest, I believe will fall into place.”