Share

Proteas look to build on winning consistency

Cape Town - Proteas captain AB de Villiers says the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against India is an opportunity for his side build some consistency in results and form.

The squad followed on their disappointing 2-1 series loss to Bangladesh with a 2-1 win against New Zealand at home, and will need to compete at their best to dent India’s proud record at home.

“We are a pretty settled ODI team,” De Villiers said at the pre-match press conference in Kanpur on Saturday.

“We are trying one or two positions here and there but it has been a similar type of feel that we have had over the last three years. I like the consistency in our selection and players growing in their roles and positions. I feel the team is in a really good place, if we play good cricket this series we have a good chance of beating India.”  

The captain is excited to have the services of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to bolster the pace attack, with the latter set to play in his 100th ODI match for South Africa. 

“It’s nice to have Dale and Morne back,” he said of the duo.

“They bring great experience and energy to the team, I’m excited to see them bowl. They are looking in really good form, especially Morne who will be playing in his 100th ODI for South Africa. We are all very happy for him, it’s a great achievement and we are looking forward to walking onto the field with him.

“We have a very balanced bowling attack,” he added.

“We don’t rely too much on the spinners or the seamers. We have fire power in both departments and we have seen that over the last few years. We have a lot of pace, guys who can swing it, move it off the seam and good variation of spinners. I feel that we cover all of the bases.”

De Villiers says the conditions at Green Park in Kanpur resemble those of a ‘good cricket wicket’ , but is prepared to adapt should they differ on the day.

“I don’t think spin has been the theme of the series so far,” he admitted.

“Our seamers have won the games but in saying that India have really good spinners in their team and we expect the wickets to get slower and turn as we go on in the series. We are preparing for a normal cricket game, we will assess the conditions again when we get to the ground and try to expose India in certain areas.”

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE