By IANS,
Sydney : Former South African captain Kepler Wessels has said
the visitors’ performance here so far in the third Test against Australia
has failed to match the quality they showed in the first two matches.
Australia, in the third and last Test, were at one stage 162 for five but
went on to make 445 in the first innings.
“I think they set such high standards in the first two Test matches that
they can’t maintain those standards all the time,” Wessels was quoted as
saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I still think from a motivational point of view, they’ve got a real desire
to win this game and they’ll try and do everything within their power to get
into a winning position. It’s not possible to retain your levels of
intensity all the time.”
Wessels is hopeful the present Proteas team’s ability to fightback will
inevitably give them the top spot in Test which they will retain for long.
“I think they’re in a very good place. I don’t think it matters too much
when they get the No.1 ranking because they will get it,” Wessels said.
“And they’ll keep it for sure. I think they’ll have it for at least a couple
of years.”
South Africa will grab the no. 1 tag from Australia if they win the ongoing
third Test.