India vs South Africa | JP Duminy asserts hosts need to start picking wrong 'uns

After winning the three-match Test series against India in just two matches, South Africa have been on a wretched run, losing the final Test before going down 3-0 in the six-match ODI series. While the bowlers have struggled to deal with Virat Kohli, who averages 319 in the three matches so far, the SA batsmen have also failed to counter the Indian spin duo of Yuzvenndra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. 

The two have claimed 21 off the 28 wickets in the first three ODIs now, after being instrumental again yesterday when they picked up eight wickets. Duminy attributed the same to South Africa’s inability to pick up the googlies of the two leg spinners. 

"We haven't picked the wrong 'uns and when you are not picking their wrong un's, you are not necessarily going to be comfortable at the crease so you are always going to be a little bit tentative. Once you become comfortable with picking their deliveries, that's when you can play with confidence, with ease, with freedom. We need to find a way to get that right," Duminy said during the post-match press conference, reported Cricinfo.

"They've assessed conditions better than us. They've bowled a touch slower than our spinners. They haven't bowled the ball full enough for us to get to the ball, to hit down the ground. That's where we have been successful in South African conditions, and they haven't allowed that. We need to make sure we have different strategies, not only scoring boundaries but finding the one square of the wicket as well. 

"Yes, we have game plans and they've bowled well enough not to give us the balls to play in our game plan. We've got to come up with different ways of countering how good they've been."

Duminy also mentioned the problems that the side has been facing while trying to build a partnership against the Indians. In the three matches that SA have been played thus far, the hosts have not been able to build a single century stand and have build a 70-run plus partnership on just two occasions. Individually, too, the players have not been able to put up any sort of fight. Apart from du Plessis’ century in the first ODI, the Proteas have scored just one fifty– Duminy’s effort in the last game. 

"We've spoken about how crucial partnerships are. We haven't had the opportunity to put together partnerships. The only standout performance was Faf's in the first game. As a batting unit we've got to make sure we are better,” Duminy remarked. 

“We've got take it on the chin and take responsibility and know we are better than that. Throughout this series so far, we've lost wickets in clusters so we haven't given ourselves a chance. It comes down to execution. We've got plans of how to counter their spin but we haven't managed to execute."

After AB de Villiers was ruled out for the first three matches before the start of the series, the hosts suffered another blow when du Plessis was ruled out for the remainder of the series with a fractured finger. But that was not all as not only was Aiden Markram, who had played just three ODIs, selected as the stand-in captain, Quinton de Kock was ruled out of the series as well owing to a wrist injury.

South Africa's decision to hand Markram the reigns of the side has been questioned by many, but Duminy was adamant that the captain had the full support of the side while adding that it was the latter who was letting him down.

"He has confided in a few guys on different ways of doing things. This is the quickest way to learn, going through difficult times. The type of character he is, he will get through it. It's not a case where he needs to go through this process alone,” Duminy said.

“We are a team and the team has not played well - it's not that he hasn't led well. As a captain you can only do so much, you can only say so much, you can only motivate so much. We've got to stand up and put in the performances we've been paid to do."

When asked about what impact de Villiers could have after his injury layoff, Duminy replied, "He will bring confidence to the team and his leadership within the group will add a lot of value as well."