Justin Sammons believes Proteas may bounce back before Boxing Day Test

• Justin Sammons confident they can come from behind to beat Australia.
• Proteas fell behind 1-0 in three-match series against Aussies after poor start.
• Australia must ensure that we take advantage of scoring opportunities.

South Africa and Australia will square off in the Boxing Day Test, begining here on Monday, Proteas batting coach Justin Sammons has little doubt that South Africa can retaliate and push Australia for the series victory.

The tourists fell behind 1-0 in the three-match series last week after losing a low-scoring opening at The Gabba in Brisbane within two days. After falling behind in recent series against India and New Zealand and having to endure bad starts over the years against the Australians, South Africa is familiar with being in this situation.

“Over the past year funnily enough we have played our best cricket when we have been behind. So I think the group’s taken confidence in what we’ve done in the past when it comes to coming from behind. We came from behind in the series against India last December when we were 1-0 down and won 2-1.” We did it in New Zealand when we were 1-0 down and we came back in the second Test there to draw the series, so it’s not something we’re afraid of doing. The boys are up for the challenge and we know we’ve done it before and we’re confident we can do it again,” said Sammons to reporters on Friday.

After a dismal performance in bowler-friendly conditions during the first Test in Brisbane, which also followed some subpar performances earlier in the year, South Africa’s top-order came under scrutiny. However, Sammons has confidence that the batters will improve as the series goes on.

“We must maintain our faith, and the players have faith. We are also determined to do it right because we haven’t performed to our full capacity in the last few Tests. The men are working diligently behind the scenes, and I have faith that they will succeed, he said.

Each bowler on the Australian team has a specialty. About the bowlers and what they are attempting to do to us, we do have private conversations. As a batting unit, we are aware that their attack is among the best in the world, if not the best, and that we must play at the top of our game both defensively and offensively. We must ensure that we take advantage of scoring opportunities when they present themselves, and we must also be strong and committed on defence, he continued.

Sammons was also questioned about the players from South Africa’s state of mind, and he reiterated that they had not been at all shaken by what had occurred in Brisbane.

“Not at all (we’re carrying any fears after the pitch we had in Brisbane). Both teams play on it at the end of the day and we can’t use the conditions as an excuse.” The bottom line is we didn’t play to our potential and if we did, we would have had a better chance of winning the game. So, the surface is for both teams to play on and it’s who adapts best. They showed that in the first Test and we’ve got to make sure we correct that in this Test regardless of the conditions,” he concluded.

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