Staff Reporter.
Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortje could not but take his hat off to the Australian batsmen after they dominated the second day of the second test against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Nortje was the only successful South African bowler as only two wickets fell – and two retired hurts – saw Australia on 386-3 with a 197-run lead.
Opener David Warner hit an epic unbeaten 200 in his 100th test as Australia knocked the South African bowlers all around at a scorching MCG.
Warner shared a 239-run third-wicket stand with Steve Smith, who made 85 off 161 balls (hitting nine fours and a six) before he lost his concentration by bottom-edging Nortje to gully.
Nortje, who currently stands with figures of one for 50 in his 16 overs, says that the Proteas tried to get the breakthroughs but acknowledged that the hosts dominated the day’s proceedings.
“It’s been a good wicket, and if you bowl good areas over time, you probably get rewarded. They betted really well,” Nortje told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’ve been trying to get a breakthrough the whole day, so I thought they sort of control the situation really well. They calmed it down when we were hitting our areas and then.
“Maybe when the guys were maybe a bit tired or when it was a little bit late in the day that the ball wasn’t doing much, then they sort of tried to dominate again.
From my side, I was trying to get a breakthrough somewhere in the innings. My role is normally to be more aggressive and try and speed it up. That was the plan, it didn’t really work out.
“I thought the boys bowled really well and I thought everyone sort of nailed their roles in the team and unfortunately, it didn’t go away.”
Nortje insists that the Proteas tried everything they could with the ball, but it just wasn’t their best day in the office.
“It happens where you’re in the heat and you’re trying all the things with the ball. You’re trying a different grip, trying maybe this and that, but it happens. It’s part of cricket.
“Like I said, they’re batted really well. Hopefully, it doesn’t happen too many more, but they batted well so hats off to them.”
Play on Day 3 starts at 01:20 SA time.