Proteas collapse leads to series defeat
After a promising
start to their second innings yesterday, day five saw South Africa once again
fail with the bat despite an Aiden Markram hundred as they were bowled out for
274 leading to a 95 run loss to Pakistan and a two-nil series defeat.
Markram’s fifth day
century was a significant step for the opener who became the third South
African to score a century in the fourth innings in the sub-continent but unfortunately
for him and the Proteas it was not enough as they lost their last seven wickets
for 33 runs.
The former SA Under-19 skipper finished the series as the leading run scorer with 227 runs at an average of 56.75, Temba Bavuma was the second highest run scorer for South Africa with 162 runs at an average of 54.
The telling stats where the performances of captain Quinton de Kock and veteran Faf du Plessis who scored a combined 101 runs between the two of them in four innings as well as Dean Elgar who made 119 runs at an average of 29.
The senior players didn’t take the responsibility during the series as a whole and that’s always going to put you on the back foot when you are relying on the less experienced players to get you through the tough times.
“If you want to have a chance of winning a test series in foreign conditions you need your senior players,” Boucher said.
“You need your senior players to perform and unfortunately it didn’t happen.”
These experienced players were unable to consistently put their hands up throughout the tour. The pressure and responsibility with the bat should not lie with the lower order, however it’s become a common occurrence that batsmen from seven to eleven are asked to do an impossible job time and time again.
Boucher didn’t have any excuses for the performance but sighted previous trips to the sub-continent as factors for their poor display in the two-match series in Pakistan.
“There a lot of scars from previous trips to the sub-continent.
“I’ve seen guys in the past who have had technical issues just mentally get through it like Aiden (Markram) who just fought his way through it and showed what he can do today.
“I think [the team’s batting issues] it’s more mental than anything.
“It just seems that in the big moments when we need to drive home an advantage we seem to find ways to get out.”
The former SA Under-19 skipper finished the series as the leading run scorer with 227 runs at an average of 56.75, Temba Bavuma was the second highest run scorer for South Africa with 162 runs at an average of 54.
The telling stats where the performances of captain Quinton de Kock and veteran Faf du Plessis who scored a combined 101 runs between the two of them in four innings as well as Dean Elgar who made 119 runs at an average of 29.
The senior players didn’t take the responsibility during the series as a whole and that’s always going to put you on the back foot when you are relying on the less experienced players to get you through the tough times.
“If you want to have a chance of winning a test series in foreign conditions you need your senior players,” Boucher said.
“You need your senior players to perform and unfortunately it didn’t happen.”
These experienced players were unable to consistently put their hands up throughout the tour. The pressure and responsibility with the bat should not lie with the lower order, however it’s become a common occurrence that batsmen from seven to eleven are asked to do an impossible job time and time again.
Boucher didn’t have any excuses for the performance but sighted previous trips to the sub-continent as factors for their poor display in the two-match series in Pakistan.
“There a lot of scars from previous trips to the sub-continent.
“I’ve seen guys in the past who have had technical issues just mentally get through it like Aiden (Markram) who just fought his way through it and showed what he can do today.
“I think [the team’s batting issues] it’s more mental than anything.
“It just seems that in the big moments when we need to drive home an advantage we seem to find ways to get out.”
The Proteas will now play a three T20I series against Pakistan but will be without their core players who will return to South Africa. This was due to the Australia tour that was scheduled but has since been postponed.
