AUSTRALIA TOUR TO SA
Zaahier Adams|Published
Star all-rounder Marco Jansen says the Proteas will take it deep into the fifth day if they need to complete victory in the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park.
The home team require just six wickets in 98 possible overs on the fifth and final day after a sensational bowling performance on Wednesday.
Jansen led the way with his fifth career five-wicket haul to rout the Aussies for just 99. It was a spectacular collapse that left the tourists 326 runs adrift.
But Australia have performed much better in their second innings, moving to 156/4 in their follow-on innings, courtesy of opener Travis Head’s unbeaten 87.
The deficit remains a healthy 170 runs, but Jansen is taking nothing for granted.
“Travis is still in,” said Jansen. “He can hit 150 balls if he decides, or wants to.
“We know they can get past it and we know there's a possibility of us having to go in again.
“But for us, the focus is to try and bowl them out before they get to the deficit. We're going to put all our efforts and all our focus into that for now and then just take it as it comes.”
The 26-year-old believes the key to success is remaining in the moment and not focusing on the result.
“I think you can get yourself in trouble if you think too far ahead in the game,” Jansen said.
“I think we did that really well in terms of just focusing on what we could do, or what we were trying to do, in whatever moment.
“Whether it was with the new ball, in the middle, or with the old ball. As soon as you get too far ahead of yourself, then your mind is not where it should be, in my opinion.
“You think of things and how they might play out, but in fact you can only do what you can do with this present ball, and then the next ball, and then the next ball.”
The Proteas will have to complete the job without injured fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who sustained a suspected groin injury, but Jansen believes the conditions are now tailor-made for off-spinner Simon Harmer to come into his own.
“It's unfortunate that we lost Anrich early on. Now it's a case of who you bowl and for how long.
“As soon as we had a feeling that the ball was going to start spinning at some stage, and we always had that feeling, we knew that Harmie was going to play a big role in this Test match, especially on this wicket.
“Obviously Harmie has played here many times. He knows what he needs to do and what he has to do.”