The second Test of the two-match series against Pakistan will be held in Rawalpindi next week.
World champions South Africa will shake off their first loss in nearly two years, according to captain Aiden Markram, as they look to hit back against Pakistan in the second Test in Rawalpindi starting on Monday.
After winning their previous 10 Tests on the trot, including a victory in the World Championship final against Australia in June, the Proteas were handed their first defeat since February last year when they lost to Pakistan by 93 runs in the first Test in Lahore which concluded on Wednesday.
“We had a good winning streak going and we lost a game of cricket. That’s how the game of cricket and the world of sport works. You can’t win everything,” said Markram, standing in for injured regular skipper Temba Bavuma.
“We had plans, we gave it our absolute all and we were on the wrong side of it. That can happen and you have to make peace with that if the other team is better than you, and you doff your caps towards them.
“So we’re not looking too deep into it. We’ll let bygones be bygones, as they say, and look forward to the second Test match.”
Bowling options for second Test
In the first Test, the Proteas utilised just one specialist seam bowler in Kagiso Rabada, and though all-rounder Wiaan Mulder was also given the ball, he delivered only two overs in Pakistan’s first innings.
Instead, they focused on spinners due to the challenging conditions, using three specialist slow bowlers — Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer and Prenelan Subrayen — as well as part-time spinner Markram (who bowled just one over).
With experienced spinner Keshav Maharaj returning to the team for the second Test after recovering from a groin injury, the Proteas were unlikely to include an additional seamer in the side. But Markram said they would consider it if conditions in Rawalpindi favoured fast bowlers more than they did in Lahore.
Aside from Rabada and Mulder, the national squad in Pakistan also included seamers Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch.
“We’ll look at it, reflect and see if there’s an opportunity to get another seamer in if we feel it can make a positive difference,” he said.
“But if we’re going to back our spin, with Kesh being back now as well, we’ll have to weigh that up when we see the conditions that side.”
