South Africa captain Faf du Plessis was surprised by the fact that India had made changes in the eleven in all of its last 34 Tests.
He said here on Tuesday, “That’s remarkable. I don’t see how we will ever be able to do that. We try to have a bit of consistency, string together a team. It’s obviously worked for India in India. In terms of the opposition, it doesn’t make a difference. You plan for everything.”
The South African captain pleased with the green surface at the Wanderers. “We’ve moved on now to Wanderers which looks more like the conditions we’re used to.”
Du Plessis said India, despite the series setback, would come at his side hard. “India will come back with a point to prove. They are a proud team that wouldn’t want to go down 3-0 so we’re expecting once again a good challenge from them. For us, the onus will be on partnerships.”
Asked about India’s record of never losing a Test at the Wanderers, he said, “They’ve played some good cricket here. The last Test match we played against India here was a fantastic match. They’ve come this time around with a very good seam attack and if you have that, you will be able to compete.”
Whether South Africa would run into problems with over-rate if left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj was left out, he said. “You don’t select teams on over-rates. You look at the conditions and you try and pick your strongest XI for it. I will just have to run a little bit quicker from slip to slip.”
On the IPL auction happening during the Test, du Plessis said, “Well, we don’t have our phones, so it’s difficult to check. There will be distractions, that is normal, it’s human. The IPL plays a big part in all of our lives. For the management and myself, it’s important to make sure we keep the focus and the energy driving towards the Test match.”
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