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Johannesburg - The Proteas are flying high, 2-0 up in a Test series against the world's top ranked side, but one major concern is the batting form of Quinton de Kock.
READ: Bookies back Proteas to whitewash India at the Wanderers
De Kock's obvious ability as a batsman has allowed Proteas management to include their wicketkeeper in the Test side's top six, but given how he has struggled in this series against India, they may be thinking about moving him back down to No 7 to accommodate a specialist batsman.
De Kock has posted scores of 43, 8, 0 and 12 in this series, but the lack of runs is not as startling as how uncomfortable he has looked at the wicket.
He was out first-ball to Ravichandran Ashwin in the first innings at Centurion with his feet rooted to the ground, while in the second dig he edged three balls in a row off Mohammed Shami through the slips before edging the fourth ball to Parthiv Patel behind the stumps.
South Africa, in all formats, need De Kock in form with the bat.
For skipper Faf du Plessis, De Kock needs to go back to what has always made him such a dangerous batsman.
"The key for someone like him is not to over-analyse or overthink things," Du Plessis said.
"With Quinny, that’s the last thing you want to do. His biggest asset is that he is a free player.
"When he is on, he completely puts the pressure back on the opposition.
"Obviously he would like to score runs, like all of our batsmen.
"From the team perspective and the language we speak to him, it’s that he just keeps having that positive intent and that we he gets the opportunity to get runs he cashes in. He’ll be very hungry for this last Test."
De Kock has played 21 Tests for the Proteas and averages 41.02 with the bat.
