The SA team have lost only two of their last 16 Test matches.
Members of the Proteas squad during the national anthem ahead of the first Test against Australia in Durban. Picture: Gerhard Duraan/Gallo Images
South African cricket fans have become used to celebrating triumphs in the Test format, but after the Proteas were outplayed in the first match against Australia this week, there’s no need to panic.
In their last 16 Tests since August 2024 (which included a victory in the World Test Championship final last year), this was the SA team’s second defeat. The other was against Pakistan in Lahore in October last year.
So it might seem concerning that they fell rather convincingly in the series opener against the Baggy Greens in Durban, but there are reasons that make it less alarming.
Challenging match
Firstly, this was the national side’s first Test in more than 10 months, and while the players have competed in other formats, the reality is that they were rusty in the five-day game which requires a tremendous amount of patience, persistence and concentration.
Also, if Matt Renshaw hadn’t saved the Australians in their first innings with a massive 190-run contribution, the game could have gone either way.
And it’s important to note that the home side were relying on a depleted bowling attack due to multiple injuries to seam bowlers, most notably speedster Kagiso Rabada.
The decision to play two specialist spinners didn’t work out in the conditions, and Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer were not as effective as they would have hoped, but team selections are always a bit of a gamble and the way the wicket will play over five days can be difficult to predict.
Looking to bounce back
The Proteas have proved in recent years that they are one of the best Test teams in the world, as is evident by the fact that they are second behind Australia in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.
They will now have a few days to reassess, consider the conditions they will face in Gqeberha in the second match of the series starting on Sunday, and make crucial decisions in an attempt to stay in the hunt for the series victory.
With a fire now lit under them, we can expect the Proteas to hit back with force, and the clash in the Eastern Cape should be a cracker.
