Maharaj calls for old-fashioned test of patience

Zaahier Adams

Keshav Maharaj believes a return to “old fashioned Test cricket” will see the Proteas’ attain success in the second Test at St George’s Park.

The Proteas require five further wickets to close out victory with Sri Lanka delicately placed on 205/5 in pursuit of a record 348 runs heading into the fifth and final day of the series.

Maharaj was always pencilled in to be a factor on the last couple of days, and the experienced left-arm spinner has already left his mark with the two important scalps of Angelo Mathews (32) and Kamindu Mendis (35) in Sri Lanka’s second innings.

It left the tourists in all sorts of trouble at 122/5 after pacemen Kagiso Rabada (1/44) and Dane Paterson (2/33) had already made earlier inroads.

At that stage, the Proteas were hoping to wrap up the match before stumps on the fourth day already, but a sense of impatience set in which allowed Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis to formulate an unbroken 83-run stand.

Maharaj feels the Proteas need to return to the basics and get back to sticking to their disciplined lines and lengths that brought about the initial breakthroughs.

“I think if you look at it, it does require a lot of patience, especially as the ball gets older and softer. The wicket becomes a little bit more placid, but I think, you know, we did go searching a little bit if I'm honest,” Maharaj said.

“But, you know, hopefully tomorrow (Monday) we'll be back and then go back to old fashioned Test cricket like we did in that period where we got those, I think it was six wickets in the morning or seven wickets in the morning, so hopefully much of that.

“Just zoning on the length and trying to make it as difficult for the batters to score with that softer ball. And, you know, who knows, string a few maidens and we could get a couple of wickets in the morning.”

A Proteas victory will earn the hosts a further invaluable 12 points in their bid to qualify for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s – and in the process virtually knock Sri Lanka out of the race.

With so much at stake, how are the Proteas remaining calm and staying in the moment of completing the task at hand?

“I think we kind of earned the right a little bit to go searching, but probably not for as long as we did. But, yeah, I think come tomorrow, you know, back to that old fashioned Test cricket.”

But on pitches that offer precious little in assistance to both seam and spin, it is the bowler that sometimes has to conjure up that extra special delivery.

Maharaj hauled out one of his locker when he deceived the experienced Mathews with a well-flighted delivery that spun viciously to clatter into the stumps.

“It was a big wicket,” he said. “I think if you look at Anji's record, it speaks for itself. He's a big player for Sri Lanka. And he's done it time and time again, being in this situation.

“So yeah, it was a big wicket. It obviously led to the wicket of Kamindu. I think a couple of overs later, if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully, we can come and pick up one or two scalps and get into the lower order and hopefully win this Test match.”

“One of the overnight conversations is going to be to try and make sure you keep the blinders on to just focus on tomorrow (Monday). Yeah, I think that's where Shuks (Conrad) is pretty brilliant at.

“Obviously, we acknowledge the bigger picture for everything, but it's about a process. We focus on each and every Test match and try to win in each and every session.

“And I think the boys are very comfortable just focusing on the now and not the future.I think that's been a blessing in the guise of this Test team.

“It's shown in our performances, just trying to win each and every game that we play and take care of the series and the results, and believing that the rest will fall into place.”