Trailing the two-match series 1-0, South Africa will face Pakistan in the second Test starting in Rawalpindi on Monday.
They will need to make some “small adjustments”, but the Proteas don’t need to change too much ahead of the second Test against Pakistan next week, according to top-order batter Ryan Rickelton.
In the first of two Tests in Lahore which concluded earlier this week, Pakistan racked up 378 runs in their first innings, and though they were restricted to 167 in their second innings on a challenging track that was breaking up, Rickelton felt the Proteas had given away too many runs on day one.
He believed South Africa had put up a solid fight, however, despite falling in a 93-run defeat as the hosts took a 1-0 series lead.
“I think 93 runs at the end of the day wasn’t a devastatingly massive loss,” said Rickelton, who compiled 116 runs in the SA team’s two innings, after spending more than six hours at the crease.
“But I think there were small moments when we definitely went out the game, and to bat last on that wicket, to chase 280 was probably about 60 runs too many.”
‘Small little’ improvements
Rickelton did admit there were areas where they could improve, and having had an opportunity to face Pakistan in Lahore, he was confident they would be better equipped to win the second Test starting in Rawalpindi on Monday.
The Proteas were expecting to face similar conditions in Rawalpindi after playing on a slow, unpredictable wicket in the series opener.
They were set to focus on making necessary tweaks to their approach, including finding a better balance between attack and defence, during training sessions over the weekend.
“There are small little things we picked up in the last game which we probably need to be better at,” he said, “and we get to put that to the test today.”
