Zaahier Adams
The flight from Chief Dawid Stuurman Airport in Gqeberha to OR Tambo in Johannesburg is only one hour and 35 minutes long. But for cricketers departing the East Coast for the Highveld it might as well be like travelling to an entirely different continent – least of all for the fact it's close to 2 000m above sea level.
While players may not quite feel like Mark Shuttleworth, the game is played on an almost different galaxial plane up there. The pitches are harder and much more batter friendly, and the ball travels a whole lot further.
And then there’s the two stadiums. It is hard to find a more South African venue than Centurion with its grass banks and braai smoke hovering in the air and, of course, the Wanderers, also known as The Bullring. The latter is one of the most intimidating cricket venues in the world, alongside “The G’ in Melbourne, with its long tunnel creating an almost gladiatorial-like atmosphere.
For the Proteas these ‘comforts’ of home could not be better timed for Rob Walter’s T20I outfit has resembled a bunch of beginner surfers trying to stand up on the board for the first time in the opening two matches of this series.
While Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee may have produced a Houdini act at St George’s Park to level up the rubber, the overall standard of the Proteas, particularly the batting unit, leaves a lot to be desired.
Hence, the importance of the Highveld. Outside of Stubbs and David Miller, the entire Proteas’ top six play their domestic cricket up in these nose-bleeding parts.
It has not been a pretty sight watching India’s spin twins Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi torment the Proteas batters on the East Coast. Chakravarthy already has 12 wickets at the mid-boggling average of 5.25, while Bishnoi also has four to give the spin duo a sum total of 12 of the 16 Proteas wickets to fall to Indian bowlers thus far.
While Walter has pleaded for patience as he tries to balance growing the Proteas’ depth in personnel by giving opportunities to younger players with the importance of winning, the pressure is starting to increase on certain players.
Reeza Hendricks’ hour glass is slowly evaporating due to the unlikely chance of the 35-year-old being at the next T20 World Cup in India in 2026.
Equally, his opening partner Ryan Rickelton has been afforded numerous opportunities to show that he is indeed Quinton de Kock’s long-term successor but without any substantial evidence provided by the southpaw to back up the claim. And then there’s the skipper Aiden Markram. The way he was deceived by Varun’s wrong’un that rattled Markram’s timber illustrated just how far off the pace he is currently is.
He remains an incredible captain, but as he will attest to himself is that any good leader needs to put in the performances to maintain his aura.
Centurion has proved to be Markram’s saving grace before. Like when he struck a brilliant century to mark his comeback to Test cricket last year. Or when he powered the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural Betway SA20 final with his maiden T20 century in the playoff victory over Joburg Super Kings.
Perhaps it's the jacarandas that adorn the entrance that gets Markam’s juices flowing. Walter will be hoping that it not only infuses the skipper, but his entire batting unit tomorrow.