South Africa’s stand-in captain Rassie van der Dusen heaped praise on the West Indies team after South Africa’s heavy 0-3 defeat in the three T20Is played at Sabina Park in Kingston from May 23-26.
The hosts won the first match last Thursday by 28 runs, their biggest T20I victory over South Africa, followed by a 16-run victory in the second match on Saturday and a convincing eight-wicket victory in the third match on Sunday.
The captain attributed South Africa’s performance to their inability to adapt quickly to the conditions on the pitch at Sabina Park.
“We didn’t adapt early on, it was definitely a long week with the layover in Miami and we felt that in the first game but we can’t make the same mistakes again,” van der Dusen said after Sunday’s game.
“I think we learned how to play in the Caribbean climate, especially in terms of bowling. It was a difficult wicket to bat on. I think their technique was better than ours, especially with the ball,” he added.
Asked about the positives to take from the three matches, he specifically singled out openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks, as well as young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter, who played in the last two matches, the first two T20Is of his career.
The 35-year-old, who was left out of South Africa’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, said he hopes the team can fine-tune its batting and get a few more chances up front.
“They just need to be a bit more courageous. I’ve seen West Indies play, especially in the powerplay. They are really aggressive and when the ball is new it is easier to score runs than later on when the ball is softer,” he said.
