JOHANNESBURG: South African batsman Keegan Petersen predicts the wicket at the Wanderers will get tougher to bat on as the second Test against India progresses, offering the potential of a gripping contest between bat and ball.
Petersen top scored for South Africa with a maiden half century on Tuesday as the home team managed a slender first innings lead over the tourists but then allowed India to score quickly near the close of play to take a 58-run lead with eight wicket second innings wickets in hand.
“I think it’s going to be tough for the rest of the test match and pitch is definitely not getting better,” he told a virtual news conference at the close of play on Tuesday.
But he warned that South Africa would need to bowl India out cheaply on Wednesday if they were to have a chance of squaring the series after losing last week’s first Test.
“We haven’t put a number to it yet but the more (runs) they get, the more difficult is going to be for us to get.
“It’s a difficult bowling attack to come up against. So realistically I’d say anything under 200 would be a good total to chase. But the more they get, the further away it gets for us.”
Petersen’s 62 runs before lunch, after South Africa were 35-1 overnight, came despite a barrage of quality bowling from India and allowed the 28-year-old, in his only his fourth test, to better savour his achievement.
“It was good bowling this morning from a top quality attack that kept you on your toes all the time. I’m happy, although I wish I could have done more to get the team into better position.”
Petersen chided himself for losing concentration once he reached his 50, suddenly playing a series of expansive shots before being caught in the slips.
“It’s a wicket where you are never really in, so when you do get that half century you get some kind of sense of you’re OK now and then you get out. I think that’s where we can be faulted and it’s the one department we can improve on. But, nevertheless, I think it was a decent effort, given the conditions.”
Petersen top scored for South Africa with a maiden half century on Tuesday as the home team managed a slender first innings lead over the tourists but then allowed India to score quickly near the close of play to take a 58-run lead with eight wicket second innings wickets in hand.
“I think it’s going to be tough for the rest of the test match and pitch is definitely not getting better,” he told a virtual news conference at the close of play on Tuesday.
But he warned that South Africa would need to bowl India out cheaply on Wednesday if they were to have a chance of squaring the series after losing last week’s first Test.
“We haven’t put a number to it yet but the more (runs) they get, the more difficult is going to be for us to get.
“It’s a difficult bowling attack to come up against. So realistically I’d say anything under 200 would be a good total to chase. But the more they get, the further away it gets for us.”
Petersen’s 62 runs before lunch, after South Africa were 35-1 overnight, came despite a barrage of quality bowling from India and allowed the 28-year-old, in his only his fourth test, to better savour his achievement.
“It was good bowling this morning from a top quality attack that kept you on your toes all the time. I’m happy, although I wish I could have done more to get the team into better position.”
Petersen chided himself for losing concentration once he reached his 50, suddenly playing a series of expansive shots before being caught in the slips.
“It’s a wicket where you are never really in, so when you do get that half century you get some kind of sense of you’re OK now and then you get out. I think that’s where we can be faulted and it’s the one department we can improve on. But, nevertheless, I think it was a decent effort, given the conditions.”
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