Johannesburg — Much of the talk before the final Test of the summer here at the Wanderers concerned whether it would survive long enough to see the weekend.
It all seemed to be going to script after the first day and a half’s proceedings, with the Windies requiring just 18 minutes to close off South Africa’s innings at 320 before the tourists were reduced to 193/9 in response on the second day.
But now barring any major batting catastrophes on Friday, the Joburg locals could still come streaming in on Saturday – customarily the best supported day up here on the Highveld – to consume some Test match cricket.
That has as much to do with former West Indies skipper Jason Holder’s undefeated 81 that ate chunks out of South Africa’s eventual 69-run first innings lead and the inability of the hosts to keep their foot on the opposition’s necks when they are laying helplessly on the floor.
This Proteas Test side remains very much a work in progress, and particularly their ability to fully embrace the new attacking mindset they have now committed to undertake.
The tactics during West Indies’ last-wicket stand of 58 – the highest of the innings – between Holder and Gudakesh Motie (17) indicated that they are not yet fully comfortable in how exactly they are going to execute it when placed under pressure.
In fact, they reverted to the same-old defensive positions of previous regimes with all the fielders placed on the boundary at one stage when Holder was on strike.
“You do want to try and get the main batter off strike and bowl as many balls as possible to the tail-ender. But he held his ground well and Jason was taking the game forward,” Proteas paceman Gerald Coetzee explained.
“I don’t think it will be the last time it will happen. Jason batted really well. And that last partnership was, if you ask any cricketer, it’s tough to deal with. Luckily we still have a good lead. We’ll take it. A 70-run lead is better than a 70-run deficit.”
Coetzee certainly tried his utmost throughout. He was the initial cause of the Windies’ distress as he picked up the two early wickets of Raymon Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood before removing Kemar Roach to record the best figures (3/41) of his fledgling Test career.
It definitely seemed that the 22-year-old was comfortable stepping into the aggressive shoes of the absent Anrich Nortje.
“I think both myself and Anrich have that role naturally. If you look at the bowling attack today, that was my role, which I enjoy doing. It comes most naturally to me,” Coetzee said.
The young paceman was not quite sure of what a defendable total would be on this surface in the final innings, although Holder claimed that a target in the region of 300 would still be within reach.
That may sound highly optimistic considering West Indies’ first innings here of 251 – which was largely due to Holder’s heroics at No 8 than any top-order stability – was easily their best effort of the series across three innings.
One thing for certain is that although South Africa’s twin-spin attack of Simon Harmer (2/63) and Keshav Maharaj (1/77) only claimed a collective 3/140 in 38.3 overs in the first innings, they will feature much more when they eventually get to bowl again.
“Obviously as the game goes on, the pitch deteriorates. You never know what can happen. I suppose the spinners will probably come into the game as we go on a little bit more,” Holder conceded.
IOL Sport