NEW DELHI: South Africa batsman Matthew Breetzke is well aware that India will come out swinging in the series-deciding third ODI in Visakhapatnam, but he is confident that his team’s balanced batting lineup can handle the pressure.
With the three-match series tied at 1-1, India must win on Saturday to avoid back-to-back series losses to the Proteas, having already been defeated 0-2 in the preceding Test series.
Series on the line: India seek another ‘Ro-Ko’ masterclass in third ODI against South Africa
“We’re going to have to play good cricket against a really good side. We know that they’re going to be really hungry to win. It’s a must-win game, so it’s going to be a really good contest,” said Breetzke on the eve of the third ODI.
Breetzke hails depth in batting lineup
The 27-year-old batsman drew confidence from the resilience shown by South Africa’s middle and lower order in the first two matches. He highlighted the contributions of key hitters like Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch down the order as a significant advantage for the team.
“We’ve got a nice balance in our side with a couple of guys who are proper batters, and then you’ve got powerhouses like (Dewald) Brevis, (Marco) Jansen and Corbin (Bosch) that can change the game on its head.
“So I think we complement each other really well, and there’s a lot of confidence in the batting group at the moment. We will have to do it again tomorrow.”
‘Lower-order firepower lets top-order bat freely’
Breetzke said having power-hitters in the lower order allowed the top-order batters to play more freely and take fewer risks.
“It gives you confidence as top order batters, knowing that you have Jansen and Bosh at the bottom. I think we’ve seen Bosh in the last two matches play some really special innings.
“The top four it gives you a lot of confidence. You can take a little bit more time, because you know you’ve got that explosive power at the back end,” he noted.
Breetzke said the recent tour to Pakistan helped him adapt to the new role of batting at No. 4.
“Yeah, a little bit. I think obviously the conditions were a lot different in Pakistan, but obviously I’m just getting more experience now batting at 4, where I’m starting to feel a little bit more comfortable. Hopefully I’ll get better,” he added.
South Africa chased the target both in Ranchi and Raipur and the presence of dew made their task that much easier as the Indian bowlers struggled to grip the ball in the middle overs.
Breetzke said the SA as a group has plans on how to tackle the situation if they have to bat first here.
“We have seen that the dew has played a big part (in the first two matches), obviously, in our advantage, batting second, it’s been really nice to bat.
“If we have to bat first, I’m sure we’ll chat about it after a couple of meetings after this conference and see what the best way to go about it. But yeah, the dew has definitely played a big part,” he said.
Meanwhile, South African team manager said in the pre-match press conference that pacer Nandre Burger and batter Tony de Zorzi have undergone scans this morning.
Both Burger and De Zorzi had to walk off the field with injuries at Raipur.
“Pacer Nandre Burger and batter Tony De Zorzi have gone for scans after limping off during the 2nd ODI in Raipur. Their continued availability will be decided depending on the results,” the manage informed.
(With PTI Inputs)
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