South African all-rounder Marco Johnson has revealed the batsman whom he gets frustrated bowling to and who is very difficult to dismiss once he gets the innings going. He also revealed what was the major factor behind their defeat in the first ODI.
In the ODI series, South Africa could not get the same start as it got in the Test series against India. Regular captain Temba Bavuma was rested for the first match and Aiden Markram was in the field as stand-in captain.
After losing the game by a close margin of 17 runs, the Proteas achieved a major part of their target thanks to special efforts from their all-rounders, Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch.
Marco Johnson told that this is the best chance to dismiss Virat Kohli.
South African all-rounder Marco Johnson admitted that the inclusion of top-class batsmen like Virat Kohli makes them impossible to dismiss, especially when they settle into the innings; This becomes a primary challenge for the bowlers.
“When you bowl to world-class players, it is quite challenging to get them out. My aim is always to target a batsman in his first 10 or 15 balls when they are still adjusting to the wicket,” Jensen commented.
“But once they get set and gain momentum, they are extremely hard to stop. Everyone here knows how to adapt, which is why you have to switch to Plan B or C.”
Commenting on Kohli, he revealed that he grew up watching Virat Kohli bat, and he first bowled to him during India’s 2017–18 tour of South Africa at the age of 17. He finds this challenge both frustrating and enjoyable.
He said, “It’s great to watch him play. Growing up watching him on TV and now bowling to him is both annoying and fun.” “He drives well, pulls well, cuts well and plays effectively with his pads. Not much has changed – he’s just batting longer,” he said.
Marco Johnson on the basis of his own explosive innings
Regarding his impressive performance with the bat, the all-rounder said that the solid performance from the top order has allowed him to play freely in the lower order. This led to the development of his character as a cricketer.
“It’s always beneficial to come in when the top five is performing well. I’m just watching the ball and reacting. At the moment, it’s working for me.”
Marco Johnson clarified that despite the defeat, the Proteas are not discouraged by the 0-1 series loss as they have performed very well and will continue to do so.
“We didn’t bowl too badly. They took early wickets and we were on the backfoot, but then we recovered. It’s about carrying the positivity forward, as we are doing in the Test team,” he said.
South Africa’s middle order performed well with the bat
In addition to Jensen, middle-order batsman Matthew Bretzky began to form partnerships with Tony De Zorzi, Dewald Brewis and then finally Marco Jensen. Some important 30s from Brewis and Zorzi, as well as 70s from Jansen and Bretzky, had given South Africa early momentum, but a lot of work was needed.
Corbin Bosch, who had already impressed with his death bowling, then took things into his own hands and thrashed the Indian bowlers, scoring 67 off 51 balls and batting till the final over of the game to take South Africa over the line.
Bosch’s half-century was one of the most memorable innings, and had he won it for South Africa, it would have been one of the most remarkable and unforgettable innings in the history of the game.
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