Africa-Press – South-Africa. Assessing conditions and setting a platform for the lower order will again be crucial for the Proteas as they head into the third T20 international against India at the Wanderers on Thursday, says South Africa batter Reeza Hendricks.
Hendricks did exactly that in the team’s five-wicket DLS win over India in the second T20 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
The opener scored a measured 49 from 27 balls to help set the platform for victory in the rain-affected encounter.
Coupled with a valuable 30 off 17 balls from Aiden Markram, the Proteas ensured an exciting, series-deciding clash when the two teams meet in Johannesburg on Thursday (5pm). The first game at Kingsmead on Sunday was rained out.
Despite the loss of two early wickets, the visitors rallied as middle-order batter Rinku Singh smashed an unbeaten 68 and skipper Suryakumar Yadav made 56 to help them to 180/7 before it started raining with three balls remaining.
With the Proteas’ target revised to 152 off 15 overs, the contributions of Hendricks and Markram, plus others, helped the hosts take a 1-0 series lead.
“It’s an important role in the team because we have to go out there and assess conditions, how it’s playing and then set the tone from there,” Hendricks said of the opener’s role.
“Our approach is simple; we want to be able to assess conditions quickly, see what the opposition is doing with the ball, make up our judgments from that and play accordingly.
“It is also about setting a base for the middle-order guys to come in and finish things.”
Hendricks has been stuck in a revolving door in the national team, but he normally displays what he is about when given the chance.
“The big thing for me is to control what I can and be ready for when the opportunity comes,” he said.
“That’s my approach. It’s simple and I try to stay as positive as possible for when I get the chance to be out in the middle.”
Hendricks said the youthful team members have brought a new energy.
With the team adopting an aggressive brand of cricket in the 50-overs format, the Lions man said that approach adapts neatly to the even shorter format as the South Africans adopt the positive approach encouraged by white ball coach Rob Walter.
“The T20 game as a whole says what we should be doing. There have been a lot of chats about how to approach it and the T20 game allows you to play freely and express yourself.
“It is a conversation driven by coach Rob and batting coach JP [Duminy].
“With T20 matches being short and then also [having a] shortened game [in the second T20], it allows more expressive cricket.
“So it is a conversation being pushed by the coaching staff and it’s up to us as players to execute it.”
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