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Cape Town - Although achieving a result is highly unlikely, Proteas assistant coach, Adrian Birrell, says the squad will be looking to make the best of the last day of the second Test against India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The third consecutive day was washed out without a ball being bowled on Tuesday, subjecting the anticipated encounter and AB de Villiers’ 100th Test match to a damp squib.
“There are still probably 95 overs to play,” Birrell said on Tuesday. “There is a chance for us to get some good match practice under their conditions and to maybe get used to their bowlers a little bit. There are things to take out of a full day of play. Our bowlers will probably start against them and we would like them to get good match practice, nothing beats match practice. We’re looking forward to getting something out of it.
“The mood is still quite good,” he said. “It has been quite frustrating for all of us not playing for three days in a row, its reminds us a little bit of our tour to Bangladesh. The guys are positive, they play funny little games in the change room to keep busy, some go to the nets and to the gym to try and pass the time. We’ve been watching a little bit of the Test series between Australia and New Zealand so we’ve found interesting ways of keeping busy during the wait.”
Birrell says it hasn’t been a challenge keeping the players focused despite the uncertainty of the weather and the long periods of downtime.
“The guys are professional,” he said. “They know that when they cross the rope with their whites on they have to perform. It’s a matter of hanging around, keeping the mind active while resting the body. It’s all about switching on when the time is right, we are ready to play if the time comes. It was disappointing that we didn’t get on today but it’s one of those things.
