Marco Jansen produced a defining performance with both bat and ball as South Africa took control of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Jansen scored 85 off 100 balls in South Africa’s first innings of 425 for 9 declared, then claimed 5 for 33 as Australia collapsed to 99 all out on day four, October 21. The all-rounder’s contributions helped South Africa enforce the follow-on with a 326-run first innings lead.
Reflecting on his performance after the day’s play, Jansen spoke about the mindset required to succeed in Test cricket. He explained that resilience and consistency form the foundation of the format, and that maintaining discipline over long periods is essential to avoid letting the game slip away.
“Test cricket is all about resilience, coupled with consistency. It’s very easy to let the game leak. For us, it’s just all about trying to do the right thing for as long as possible,” Jansen said as quoted by Cricinfo.
How did Jansen rebuild South Africa’s innings?
Jansen’s batting contribution proved crucial when South Africa was in a precarious position at 110 for 6 in the first innings. He and Temba Bavuma formed an unbeaten century partnership on the third morning, October 20, that transformed the innings. Jansen reflected on the team’s batting strategy during that recovery, noting that the target of 250 runs had initially seemed like a respectable total given the match situation.
“We knew we were going to have to bat well and get a decent score. At one stage, we thought 250 was going to be a good score. As soon as you get too ahead of yourself, your mind’s not where it should be,” Jansen said.
“It’s all about my mental approach. I’m not the most technically sound or beautiful-looking batter, but I know I can trust my hands. Playing an innings like that, you need a bit of luck. There was one top edge that fell in no man’s land and a pull shot that went for six just over the boundary. I thought I hit a good length. It’s one thing to bowl a certain way, but it’s another thing to be backed up by the fielders as well,” he added.
The situation has left the series intriguingly poised, with the prospect of taking the series to Cape Town at 1-1 very much alive. Whatever the outcome, the contest has lived up to its promise of pitting two teams that tend to bring out the best in each other. Both sides have thrown punches, and Jansen will be hoping South Africa can land the harder blows on the final day.
“We all knew this series was going to be a good one because both teams can beat anyone. It just literally depends on who’s more disciplined and who’s more on it and who’s more consistent from a bowling perspective, and from a batting perspective who leaves better and who plays the short ball better at stages,” Jansen said.
“In the first Test, they played the short ball a lot better than what we did. They bowled a lot better. They batted better. In this Test, we probably placed the short ball a bit better. And we bowled in better areas for a longer period,” he added.
