Keshav Maharaj will be key for the Proteas as they gear up for the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Durban. EPA
SOUTH Africa sits fifth in the current World Test Championship and is in a good position to finish in the top two of the ongoing campaign and thus qualify for next year’s final at the home of cricket in London.
However, the Proteas were sitting in a similar position in the 2021-2023 campaign where they were leading proceedings from the start of the championship until they fumbled the back end of the campaign with series losses in England and Australia.
Who knows what could happen in the next two weeks given the strength and current form of the touring Sri Lanka squad?
However, the Proteas have a new coach and captain in Shukri Conrad and Temba Bavuma, and several fresh faces in the squad.
It is with these changes that Proteas spinner, Keshav Maharaj, believes the team has been able to do well in this campaign with series victories in the Caribbean and Bangladesh.
“I think that fresh energy, fresh faces, that's what has been spurring us on and achieving the things we have done as a unit,” Maharaj told the media on Monday.
“Shuks is quite brilliant at making sure that we're just focused on the task at hand and that’s why it has shown in the results. I don't think we look too much into it.
“We just want to try and display the brand of cricket that we want to play and adapt to the conditions a lot quicker rather than later.”
Despite the mounting pressure of the World Test Championship with India and Australia competing for spots in the final in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series down under, Maharaj reiterated their intention of not looking too far ahead.
“We all know what the bigger picture is but the beauty of this team is that we've taken it one step at a time and I think that's been a blessing in disguise,” he said.
“We know the task at hand but it’s winning each and every single ball as often as we can in this Test match that will take us where we want to be.”
Similar to South Africa, Test teams around the world have recently been winning away from home with Sri Lanka registering victory in England in September and New Zealand whitewashing India in India earlier this month.
Despite the recent results in Test cricket, Maharaj remains adamant that they want to make home their fortress starting with the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka.
“There have been a lot of away series victories and I think that's the beauty of the (World) Test Championship and fighting for a spot in the final because it’s a huge achievement and a prestige to be there,” said Maharaj.
“But I don’t think we're focussed too much on that. We know what we have to do as a unit. We’ve done that really well in the last couple of series away from home and we've done well.
“It’s about making sure that we make home our fortress. There are a lot of guys that have played a lot of domestic cricket at the venues to be able to adapt accordingly and just focus on that.”
The first Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka gets underway tomorrow at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban.