• Anrich Nortje anticipates  South African bowling to carry on.
• They lost first match of the three-game series by six wickets.
• Nortje thinks they could have easily won game.

Anrich Nortje anticipates the South African bowling to carry on from where it did in Brisbane and urges them to be committed to their work as they prepare for the Boxing Day Test, which begins here on Monday.

South Africa trailed 1-0 after losing the first match of the three-game series over a two-day span at Brisbane’s The Gabba. The tourists will be looking to do considerably better after losing tamely on a bowler-friendly pitch at The Gabba before the second game in the series, in what is a major game at the legendary MCG.

Although just two players—South African Kyle Verreynne and Australian Travis Head—had half-centuries, Nortje thinks the game was closer than it appeared to be. She claims that the tourists could have easily won the match.

“When we look back at the last game, it was just a matter of probably half a session, not even a session, and the game could have been different and we could have been in a winning position…that’s how quick things were happening,” Nortje told reporters on Saturday.

Therefore, you cannot consider a loss by six wickets to be a significant margin on that wicket; rather, it may have been a very marginal one. Everyone is in a really good place mentally and physically, so we’re just looking forward to getting on and starting the game again, he continued. “So it’s hard to say we’re not really focused on the last game, we’re focused on what’s going to come up now, trying to prepare again.

The Brisbane pitch came under scrutiny for its role in the result, and ICC match referee Richie Richardson gave it a below-average rating and one demerit point. The focus is now on Melbourne, where the MCG’s surface, which the groundsman has prepped, is receiving a lot of attention.

“We’ll have to wait and see. You can’t really go into history too much, but it seems like a good wicket in terms of pace and bounce. As a bowling unit I don’t think there are going to be massive demons in the wicket. I’ve never played here, so I can’t speak from experience, but we think it will be a good contest,”  Nortje responded when questioned about the Melbourne pitch’s characteristics.

In 2008, the Proteas played their last Test match in Melbourne. Dale Steyn took 10 wickets that match, and the Proteas defeated the Melbourne hosts by nine wickets en route to a storied 2-1 series victory.

“I don’t think there will be as much side movement (in Melbourne) as there was in Brisbane so hopefully we’ll just be able to stick to the basics. I know it’s simple to say but that’s what we’ll be hoping to do and use our bouncers as a bowling unit,” concluded Nortje.

Also Read

Justin Sammons believes Proteas may bounce back before Boxing Day Test

Justin Sammons confident they can come from behind to beat Australia. Proteas...