Proteas must get into swing of seam

IN the history of the T20 World Cup no team has become champions without losing a match.

And no side has won more than 12 straight in bilateral T20 cricket.

This is what South Africa will be thinking after their top order were blown away in bowler-friendly conditions in the first T20 against India at Greenfield Stadium on Wednesday night.

They will know that being reduced to 9-5 is an anomaly and not the norm.

The only fear heading into the second T20 in Guwahati tomorrow is that they recorded their lowest T20 total of 87, the last time they were in India too.

And it’s not the traditional lack of nous against the turning ball that is proving to be their undoing, but rather the failure to deal with seam and swing.

South Africa simply have to find a way to negotiate the new ball to build momentum through their innings.

“I don’t think we want to dwell too much on what has transpired, but it is something that we can address going forward and hopefully we can rectify that,” Proteas left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who surprisingly top-scored in the first match with 41, said.

“I think something we need to address is the new ball and the way we’re playing it. There is a lot of swing, so maybe it’s adjusting our plans and mindset and building from there.”

Though coach Mark Boucher and captain Temba Bavuma are trying to work out combinations ahead of this month’s T20 World Cup and will therefore be shuffling some of the players around, the decision to omit Reeza Hendricks from the starting XI went a bit against the grain.

The Lions opener is in the form of his life, having struck four half-centuries in his past five T20Is, before carrying that momentum through to Namibia’s Global T20 where he added a further 77, 31, 55 and 94* in four matches.

Bavuma’s return from injury had to be accommodated, of course, but the time is fast approaching where Quinton de Kock can be relieved of his duties. It may precipitate a double change with Heinrich Klaasen coming into the middle order to take the gloves, which could place young Tristan Stubbs’s spot in danger, but something drastic needs to be done for De Kock to get himself into gear again with just a fortnight to go before the global jamboree Down Under.