JP Duminy eager to repeat heroics of 2008-09
Oct 22, 2016 at 3:12 PM
The upcoming three match test series between Australia and South Africa promises to be a cracker of a series. The two sides have plenty at stake as the South Africans would want to win the test series for a consecutive third time in Australia. The hosts, on the other hand, would want to inflict serious damage to the Proteas, who recently mauled them 5-0 in the ODI series.
When South Africa won the three-match series 2-1 in late 2008/09, left-handed batsman JP Duminy had a crucial role to play. Duminy, along with Steyn, was involved in a match-winning stand in the lower order at Melbourne, as the Proteas went on to make history. 8 years later, Duminy is back in Australia to repeat his heroics. Duminy recently spoke about his experience of 2008/09 on the sidelines of a practice session.
“The difference from then is that I was a young kid, playing my debut Test against guys like Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden. It was quite intimidating,” Duminy said. “Now I am more established than I was then. I am coming into a Test series with a little bit more confidence and a little more stability in my role in the team and how I play Test cricket.”
All-rounder mentioned that South Africa’s preparation for the tour had been ideal and the Proteas were quite confident for the series. “It’s the best preparation we’ve had on any tour, to be honest. I can’t recall this amount of time before a Test match on any tour,” Duminy said. “We’ve got 10 to 14 days of training leading up to the first Test.”
“We are concentrating on staying in our bubble,” he added. “We are coming into this series with a bit of confidence on the back of our one-day series but we understand that it’s a clean slate. This is Test cricket. We are not looking at what the expectations are. We are looking to concentrate on our preparations. There might be a lot of banter being thrown around in the media but that’s not something we want to focus on.”