“We were confident of getting them out cheaply,” said Proteas skipper, Quinton de Kock, after the Proteas registered a comprehensive 10-wicket win to seal the series against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers.
DEFINING MOMENTS: PROTEAS VICTORY WAS GOOD, NOT GREAT
At the beginning of the day, there was a discussion with the batting group to make an assessment about the sort of target they would like to chase. With the bowlers taking early wickets, including the Sri Lankan captain, Dimuth Karunaratne for 103, the Proteas were set a target of 67.
De Kock enjoyed his first experience of captaincy at the Test level. “It was pretty cool,” he said. While the team management is looking for a long-term Test captain, de Kock is “happy to do it for the rest of the summer.”
De Kock said there was no formal process the team management was employing to appoint the next captain. “If someone really steps up and shows leadership qualities, they can take over,” De Kock explained.
Reflecting on the progress the team made through this series, de Kock said the batsmen understood their roles. The bowlers were challenged significantly in this series because of their lack of experience at the international level. “We had Lungi and Ana (Anrich Nortje), but it is still a young bowling lineup,” said De Kock.
“They made mistakes but learned from it, which was good to see,” praised de Kock. However, de Kock conceded that while the team played well, the Proteas had still not played their best cricket. There were times when the Proteas put themselves “under unnecessary pressure” but going forward, the team will “grow from strength to strength.”
Excited about playing in Pakistan for the first time in his career, de Kock said the greatest challenge for the team will be to continue living in the bubble. The mandatory quarantine periods make tours longer.
The Proteas have a week off before they depart for Pakistan, where Head Coach, Mark Boucher, made his debut in 1997. De Kock and his team will look to draw from Boucher’s extensive experience in Pakistan, where the team is excited for “new learnings and challenges.”
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What the full De Kock press conference:
