“When you get in, you don’t want to give it away,” Tristan Stubbs observed about a disappointing start to the second Test by South Africa’s batters in Guwahati.
Stubbs was the Proteas’ top scorer with 49, on a day when he was one of two players to make 40, another two made 30 and Tony de Zorzi scored 28. When bad light stopped play, South Africa were 247/6, a position they weren’t happy with after Temba Bavuma won the toss.
“This is definitely a wicket that is better for batting,” Stubbs replied when asked to compare the surface at the Barsapara Stadium with that of Eden Gardens, where the Proteas won a three-day Test, in which the top individual score was 55.
“A few guys got 30 and ideally you want one, maybe two to get a hundred and at the end of play, (to be) three (wickets) down. We (only have ourselves to blame), it’s not nice to score 30s and 40s.”
He praised the efforts of the Indian bowlers, who despite not having a surface that offered them much help, still showed discipline and patience, creating pressure on the South African batters, the majority of whom were dismissed playing aggressive shots.
“You can bat time, but when you look up and you see the scoreboard has gone nowhere (that creates pressure),” said Stubbs.
“I think they bowled quite well, especially the seamers, they bowled straight lines and attacked the stumps. They bowled to contain, but all of us had opportunities. No one kicked on and we have to take that on ourselves.”
Stubbs was one of three batters dismissed by left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, a teammate of his at the Delhi Capitals IPL franchise. “I can’t believe Kuldeep got me out,” he smiled, “(and KL (Rahul, another Delhi teammate) took the catch.”
Though Stubbs pushed hard at the delivery that dismissed him, he explained that it wasn’t a case of him misreading Kuldeep. “The ball beat me in the drift, that’s why my hands got away from me.”
With the second new ball taken shortly before the close of the first day, the Proteas’ lower order will have a difficult job on Sunday to put their side in a position to make a first innings total that will allow for a semblance of control.
“Hopefully Sen (Muthusamy) and Scholsey (Kyle Verreynne) can bat well and we extend the innings as long as we can. It would be nice if someone can get a hundred and not give it away.”
