Proteas to go head to head against India at Wanderers
JOHANNESBURG – Action, action, action for the Proteas.
After thrashing Zimbabwe by one innings and 120 runs in their one-off day-night test match at St. George’s Park Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth, the Proteas will battle India in a three-match test series on 5 January at PPC Newlands in Cape Town.
The summer kick-starter against the touring India side will then move to SuperSport Park in Centurion on 13 January before coming to a climax at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on 24 January.
Proteas stand-in captain, AB de Villiers, gave the four-day pink ball experience against Zimbabwe the thumbs up despite it proving to be a one-sided affair on 26 December.
“I think it was quite nice,” De Villiers said of the experience. “It encourages a lot more positive cricket which I enjoy [and] I found that the batsmen were a little bit more positive. [In much the same way] I still enjoy five-day cricket, but there is definitely an excitement to day-night test cricket for four-days.”
He explained that the four-day day-night format was similar to any other in that players have to adapt, find ways, game plans, structures and strategies to get through certain periods [of play]. “It looks like the last hour is tough to bat and that is an area that guys have to be aware of.
“We took some learning from that, it is an area where you need to tighten up as a batsman but on the other side the bowler has an opportunity to expose the batting line-up. It’s a mindset and awareness of knowing what times are a little bit better to bat on and which aren’t. There is definitely room for day-night test cricket, we love playing it.”
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