- Proteas captain Dean Elgar said his bowlers showed a lot of character in the loss against Australia, but he couldn’t say the same for their batsmen.
- The Proteas lost the second Test against Australia by one innings and 182 runs to concede a series defeat in Australia for the first time since 2006.
- Elgar said his batting group needs more Test experience.
Proteas captain Dean Elgar was effusive in his praise for the bowling group, but was disappointed by the batting unit’s lack of character after their series defeat against Australia.
Having lost the first Test at Brisbane by six wickets last week, they were crushed for an innings and 182 runs in the second Test which concluded on Thursday.
The Proteas were bowled out for 189 and 204 as Australia amassed 575/8 declared in their only Test innings.
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Despite 145 overs spent in the field without much reward, as David Warner (200) and Alex Carey (111) took advantage of a flagging bowling attack, Elgar said the bowlers did their part.
He could not say the same for the batting group who again failed to produce a Test 100; something that has been done only twice this year.
“Just outside of this Test there was a lot more character on the ball, even though the Australians beat us to the ground,” Elgar said.
“I saw a lot of characters coming out in our bowling rows, but maybe not so much in our batting, with Kyle Verreynne putting in decent performances with the bat.
“It’s hard to swallow right now, but if we had done this in two days, I would have been able to give you a little more information.”
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Elgar, who made 26 and 0 as his long run without a Test Match 100 is set to enter a second year, said positive affirmations for the batting pool will continue to be the way forward.
The second innings knock was the first time Proteas had crossed the 200 barrier since the first Test against England at Lords in August.
In the bigger scheme of things it meant nothing as the margin of defeat was wide and a second successive Test series was conceded.
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Elgar said his current hitting group, outside of Temba Bavuma, may not have the Testing experience required to make the quickest adaptations.
“You have to carry on with what you started when you came here. To me, it’s about that positive statement that you have to give to the larger group,” Elgar said.
“I’m not going to walk away from that because I feel like the lads we have here are hard-earned and talented first-class cricketers.
“They just lack experience at Test level but we still have to show faith in them. Hopefully that will turn things around because in cricket you are often just one stroke away from fit.”
“You have to keep reminding the lads that they are not bad cricketers because 80 per cent of the game is in the mind and 20 per cent skill.”
