Proteas coach Shukri Conrad says their thumping of Bangladesh in their two-Test series will give them a lot of confidence going into two massive home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The 2-0 win was the Proteas’ first Test series win in the subcontinent in more than a decade after they last beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in 2014.
It was series that saw the batters come to the party with centuries - three players scored their maiden 100s - while the normal suspects such as Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj stood out with the ball.
“On so many levels it was a special win and so important for this group, especially what lies ahead over the next couple of months which makes it even more exciting,” Conrad told the media on Friday.
“Just the belief that it instils in this group, how we went about our business and the growth that you see within them on a daily basis.
✅ 3 maiden Test tons
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 31, 2024
✅ A heavy bag of wickets
✅ 2-0 series win
The Proteas Men had a solid outing in Bangladesh 👏![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦#BANvSA pic.twitter.com/U7z2Tccd7u
A mindset shift may have been key to this Test series victory, as Conrad has always encouraged his players to back their skills and express themselves on the field.
In the past some South African sides have tended to go into their shells, especially when it comes to playing spin in difficult conditions. But now they seem to play with a bit more freedom and are not afraid to make mistakes.
Conrad also decided against playing a warm-up match in Bangladesh, and chose to create similar conditions at home by “doctoring pitches” with rakes and using the time to work with individual players.
“I think it's all about our prep. We prepared really well. We created extreme conditions in Pretoria. And I think we kept talking around the mentality that we want this group to have, for them to back what they've got, to show their character in everything we do.
“You must want to create an environment where it's okay to make mistakes. But we are still going to get tested in bigger ways going forward.
“For South African teams, when we go to Pakistan and India next year, I think we take a lot of confidence from this result.”
The Proteas now find themselves in pole position to qualify for the ICC Test Championship final, which will be played at Lord’s in England in June next year.
After dispatching of Bangladesh, the Proteas need to win three of their four remaining Test matches in this cycle to make it to the their first first final of the Test Championship.
It all starts with a two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Durban and Port Elizabeth, before the team take on Pakistan in another two-match series in the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in Centurion and Cape Town respectively.
Conrad says getting the job done won’t be easy, but is happy that the South Africans have their destiny on their own hands.
“It’s a lot easier said than done, but this is the way you'd prefer it to be. You want your fate in your own hands, you don't want to be relying on other sides,” Conrad said.
“I can tell you now that the table is going to be topsy-turvy and there's so many permutations. I'm just glad that it's in our hands.
“It's all about the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban now and then we'll take it from there. But first a nice little break for all these guys.”
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