Proteas won’t be spooked by pitch: Zondo

Oliver Caffrey | December 21, 2022

South Africa’s struggling batting line-up will not be spooked by the prospect of another lively pitch for the second Test against Australia.

The Proteas were rolled for 152 and 99 in Brisbane last week, falling behind 1-0 in the three-match series after the Test lasted just two days.

In their last six completed Test innings South Africa have failed to reach 200.

No.5 Khaya Zondo top-scored with an unbeaten 36 in the second innings but the Proteas’ inexperienced batters were no match for Australia’s star quicks on a Gabba pitch the ICC rated as “below average”.

Last year’s Boxing Day Test was over before lunch on the third day and pressure is on MCG curator Matt Page to deliver a pitch that delivers a fair contest between bat and ball.

But Peter Roach, head of cricket operations for Cricket Australia, was adamant there had been direction to flatten out the MCG wicket following the express match at the Gabba and last year’s bowler-friendly conditions in Melbourne.

“You can’t play a game before you’re actually in it,” Zondo said on Wednesday.

“Going forward and thinking what the pitch is going to be like, is it going to be bad or good, I don’t think that’s a good space for us as a team or batsmen to really think about.

“I don’t necessarily think they will prepare a pitch like they did last time because it’s been deemed below average so I’m sure there’s going to be an effort to make it more fair between bat and ball.”

Zondo, who is coming off just his third Test appearance, fought valiantly at the Gabba during the second innings after falling for a duck on day one.

“I just made sure that I watched the ball even closer and move a little bit quicker,” he said.

“If you scored a 30 or 40 on that pitch, it was like gold.”