Following the humiliating 3-0 series loss to the Windies, stand-in T20I skipper Van der Dussen accepted that South Africa ‘was made to learn how to play in Caribbean conditions’. In the second T20I series failure, the South Africans were undeterred by the prophecy. Even though Van der Dussen was the second-highest run-getter in T20 cricket in 2024.
Batting Concerns and the Need for Bravery
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This surface did not suit Van der Dussen with the bat, while the team’s powerplay received criticism for being too conservative.
”From a batting front, we can maybe be just a bit braver,” he said, explaining how the West Indies had a lot of steam when the new ball was in operation, especially in the power play.
On the other hand, the residing façade of SA was comprehensively dismantled and could not establish any significant combination, mainly due to their fatal collapse of top-order wickets. However, notwithstanding the match individually displayed by Reeza Hendricks and Quinton de Kock, their combined force was not enough.
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Middle-order worrisomeness
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Just like the top order, the middle order, which had the presence of Van der Dussen, also made things tough for themselves. He also said that there were certain players who were too tired to make decisions that took too long. One of his main reasons was that he was unable to adapt early enough, and he noted the long layovers in Miami as a factor.
The middle order will change most experienced hands. Such as Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs are likely to come back to the playing eleven as Van der Dussen expects they’ll help boost up their pathetic scoring rate.
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Van der Dussen Talks About Bowling Challenges
In bowling, South Africa had a worse performance than the West Indies. Some of the bowlers who underperformed in the IPL also struggled in this game. More specifically, Anrich Nortje never got a wicket, which is a trait of a good bowler, and he also conceded many runs. The availability of key players is another factor of concern for the Bucs.
Especially the fitness of Ottneil Baartman, who was sidelined for the last two games due to a lower limb strain. Kagiso Rabada could not play in the match because he had a soft tissue infection. Tabraiz Shamsi was included in the squad but was also injured.
Despite the overall disappointing performance, Van der Dussen highlighted some positives, particularly the emergence of young legspinner Nqaba Peter, who impressed on his debut.
“Youngster Nqaba Peter made his debut and looks like he’s been playing for a few years already,” he said, also praising Bjorn Fortuin’s economical bowling.
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