We want pace and bounce: Du Plessis
For all the talk about Bangladesh's steep upward curve in international cricket, there is a Jekyll-and-Hyde situation going on depending on whether a team is playing Bangladesh at home or away. Over the last two years, visiting teams coming to Bangladesh often talk about how tough it is to play there. The scenario is a little different when Bangladesh are the visitors.
A clue may lie in the fact that Bangladesh's current tour of South Africa will skip the big-money cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. As visitors, Bangladesh are not quite up there yet. And that is an assessment with a lot of merit -- Bangladesh's desperately poor away record proves it.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis gave his opponents due credit, but there was enough in his words to suggest that South Africa do not really expect to be beaten by Bangladesh over the next two Tests, the first of which starts today at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom.
“Bangladesh's cricket has really improved in the last two years and they are as tough as any other team to play against. Every single nation will tell you that. We have been there [to Bangladesh] and it's really, really tough going there. This tour will be a real opportunity for them to show to the world that they can perform outside of their home. And that's also the challenge. You only get measured when you play well away from home,” Du Plessis told reporters at the pre-match press conference yesterday.
“I believe if you are not at the top of your game then the opposition will beat you. So we are preparing like we prepare ourselves against any other country.
"We are not taking any Bangladeshi player lightly. We know we have to play well to beat them. If we play to our full potential in these conditions then it could be difficult for Bangladesh and similarly if Bangladesh play to their full potential and we don't, then it will be good competition.”
In other words, if both teams play to their respective potentials, then it will be South Africa on top. And that view is reflected in high definition in the Test rankings -- South Africa are second while Bangladesh are second from last among current Test nations.
From South Africa's point of view, at the start of a new season under a new coach, it is time to fill their boots against a lower-ranked opposition and get a much-needed confidence boost after a Test series defeat against England last season.
“For a start, just to draw a line in the sand after the England series,” said Du Plessis when asked what he was looking for from this series. “We've played some really good cricket the last year, and that one tour, one tough conditions tour doesn't change the quality that we have in our setup."
Expecting to beat Bangladesh does not mean taking the lightly, however. “We've asked for a wicket with some pace and bounce in it… I am hoping that that happens. You have to make sure that you test the opposition with the conditions that they are not accustomed to. When we go to the subcontinent we get spinning pitches. So you have to make sure that when you get the opportunity to play against subcontinent teams, you take them out of their comfort zones a little bit.”
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