SOUTH AFRICA IN SRI LANKA, 2018

Trial against spin a 'global issue', believes du Plessis

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

The South African batsmen struggled against spin throughout the series. © AFP

Very rarely have teams from outside the subcontinent come to Asia and outplayed the hosts in the spin game. And among the few times they have succeeded, it has been at the back of their strength - pace bowlers - coming good. The most standout testimony of that is Australia's 2004 tour of India. In fact, only four years ago a South African outfit - consisting of five players from the current XI - had registered a series victory against a much-stronger Sri Lanka in similar conditions, at the back of their pace might. Two years ago, when Australia visited Sri Lanka (in 2016), it was Mitchell Starc who did the bulk of the damage. Thus, when South Africa decided to play only a solitary spinner in the SSC Test, it came as a surprise. And the only logical explanation to it could've been that they were backing their strength. Because, as evidenced, the ball had started turning sharply from the first session itself.

Through the course of three and a half days and four innings, the South African pacers managed to bag only two wickets. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, went one step further. Suranga Lakmal, their captain and lone pacer, bowled only two overs in the match. Thus, it came as no surprise that mastering the spin challenge was the only way to win the contest, and with it, level the series.

Faf du Plessis, however, put forward another argument. He believed the decision to play three frontline pacers was made by looking at the surface which was abrasive. He hoped that with the ball getting rough quickly, the pacers could cause damage with reverse swing. Unfortunately for them, their pacers got help ranging from negligible to nil from the conditions on offer. The ploy backfired. And just to add weight to his counter-argument was Keshav Maharaj, who bagged 12 of the 15 wickets to fall (including a run out). The absence of a second spinner was felt when he was doing the damage from one end, when he was bowling tirelessly and when he was being played around easily. Basically, all through the match.

Du Plessis, however, stressed on the need to adapt to the conditions rather than simply playing to their strengths. "Our way of coming to the subcontinent needs to adapt," he said after the 199-run loss in the second Test. "Whether it's playing two or even three spinners, when you come to conditions like this you give yourself the best opportunity."

The South African pacers did little wrong, and even in trying conditions, they bent their backs and maintained a disciplined channel. However, with the track not assisting them much, all they got as a reward for their hard work was a wicket apiece to Kagiso Rabada and Lungisani Ngidi.

"I think it would be unfair to judge our seam bowlers on these performances," du Plessis justified. "They tried hard, but it was just really tough to get something out of the wicket. The wicket was quite dusty. You saw with a lot of balls that when it hit there was a little bit of explosion. That takes out all the pace out of the delivery. Our pace factor that we had as a threat was not a weapon in these conditions."

The most unsuccessful, ineffective and unrewarded of their pace trio was Dale Steyn, who went wicketless. Coming into the match, he needed only one wicket to go past Shaun Pollock and become South Africa's leading wicket-taker. He toiled hard but to no success.

Defending Steyn and the pace attack, the South African captain added: "It was frustrating for Dale because he gives everything. He was running in but there was nothing happening for him. There was no reverse from the wicket."

Even as South Africa folded up within 60 overs thrice in four innings in the series, Du Plessis continued his line of defense of 'we don't play spin badly'. Barring Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma, none of the other batsmen managed to register a half century in the four innings. However, he conceded that top cricket teams from outside the subcontinent are behind their Asian counterparts in this regard. Defending his team's lackadaisical show in spinning conditions, he termed it as a "global issue".

"Whenever a team tours the subcontinent - whether it's Australia or England or us - there's always a question mark on how you play spin. It's a world issue that we're trying to get better at," he added. "I don't think we play spin badly, but if you compare yourself to the subcontinent batters, then they're obviously a step above us in that regard.

"It has to be a case of looking at how you can get your own home conditions to try and get exposed to these kinds of conditions a little more often, when you're playing first-class cricket. That's where the challenge lies for the South Africas and the Englands and the Australias of the world."

Despite being outbatted, outbowled and whitewashed in the series, du Plessis isn't too bothered by home teams taking advantage of the conditions, and signalled that greener pastures will be on offer when Sri Lanka tour South Africa next year.

"Teams these days make sure they can maximise their opportunity to win a game. For us, it will be similar to last time when they came over. We've got a really good seam attack so the pitches will have some pace and bounce," he concluded.

© Cricbuzz

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