UNITED KINGDOM. England: Both Proteas captain Dean Elgar and departing head coach Mark Boucher acknowledged that the lack of experience significantly impacted South Africa’s 1-2 Test series loss to England.
At the Kia Oval on Monday, the home team won the third Test by an authoritative margin of nine wickets to cap off an incredible comeback victory. After South Africa easily won the first Test by an innings and 12 runs last month, the home team reacted by winning the second Test in Manchester by an innings and 85 runs.
England’s exceptional win
In the decisive Test, which was effectively a three-day match due to day one’s bad weather and day two’s interruption due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the Proteas were removed for pathetic scores of 118 and 169. Elgar commented, “I think lack of experience and exposure to Test cricket (played a part).”
“The lack of experience with the swinging and nipping the ball under UK conditions. The batting circumstances in this Test, particularly when the ball was nipping quite a bit, were also revealed to us.”
“I have a fair amount of experience, but it was up there with some of the hardest situations I’ve encountered. I, therefore, have no idea how a guy who has only taken one or two tests must feel. It was difficult everywhere.”
“I have a fair amount of experience, but it was up there with some of the hardest situations I’ve encountered. I, therefore, have no idea how a guy who has only taken one or two tests must feel. It was difficult all around.”
In the third Test that followed, England only had to bowl 92.4 overs, and skipper Elgar’s 36 was their highest game total. One of the few bright spots for the visitors, Marco Jansen, averaged the highest in the entire series with the bat, surpassing all the team’s specialists with a 27.33 average.
Coach Boucher acknowledged that the batters had a difficult series. “We always anticipated being under pressure if the circumstances changed somewhat”, he said. “I believe the conditions are different in South Africa. The contact locations are slightly different, and the ball does not swing.”
“There is a significant difference, and playing is the only way to gain experience. We backed players to play in a number of Test matches where the ball moved around a bit, but they haven’t been successful.”
Due to the England series, the Proteas are currently ranked second in the ICC World Test Championship. The team will now have a vacation before coming back together later in the year in preparation for their three-test tour of Australia.
Also Read: Ben Stokes’ Heroics Help England to Win the 2nd Test
