Jofra Archer was put under pressure by a South Africa team which will not be intimidated by him in Cape Town, according to Proteas coach Mark Boucher.
South Africa halted a five-game losing streak in Tests by beating England by 107 runs on the fourth afternoon in Centurion, with pacemen Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje taking seven of the nine remaining second-innings wickets on offer.
If those two made the most of conditions helpful to fast bowling, the same could not always be said for Archer.
The 24-year-old burst onto the Test scene during this year's Ashes series in England but struggled as Joe Root's men went down in New Zealand last month.
He took the solitary wicket of tailender Keshav Maharaj during South Africa's first innings, while a haul of 5-102 second time around cost a run a ball and was marred by a pair of attempted slow balls at nightwatchman Nortje on the second evening coming out as beamers.
"No, I wouldn't see him as England's greatest threat. He's got a spell in him that can ruffle a few feathers," Boucher said afterwards.
"We were in a position in the game to take him on a bit more. We were playing ahead of the game.
READ: It's the start of a new chapter: Du Plessis hails much-needed Proteas win
"We're in a position where we understand he's a wicket-taker, he's going to take wickets. But we're also not dartboards.
"I've always encouraged the batter to set up to score and, if there are opportunities to score, you've got to take that."
The second Test begins in Cape Town on January 3, and Boucher said of Archer: "He's under a bit of pressure as well because he was going for quite a few runs. He's a threat, yes, but they've also got quite a few other bowlers who are threats in that line-up.
"I'm pretty happy with the way that we played him. He bowled well in the second innings, bowled with some heat on an up-and-down wicket.
"You expect him to take wickets but I also thought that in moments of the game we put him under pressure as well, which helped us get a very good lead."
Sam Curran was the pick of England's attack during the first innings, while Archer's place should be safe for the second Test.
Should Root wish to select a specialist spinner from his illness-ravaged squad, it could mean either of James Anderson or Stuart Broad making way.
"They've got fantastic records behind them and have produced some fantastic things for England in the very recent past," Root told a post-game news conference.
ALSO READ: Bhuvneshwar Kumar: ‘Don’t know when I will get fit’
"You don't want to wish those guys away, looking back and thinking you've forced Jimmy Anderson out. You look at him physically and he's a fantastic specimen. He's got a fantastic record in these conditions, as has Stuart.
"It's a fine balance, you've got to look at the surface and look at the attack that can best counter that and the opposition you come up against.
"If difficult decisions have to be made down the line, they will be. But if they don't, they won't.
"It'd be silly to push fantastic experience and a wealth of knowledge of fast bowling out of the door when there's no need to."
Comments
SHARE