Proteas spinner Simon Harmer said South Africa no longer depend on one or two star players, after the team beat Australia at St George’s Park in Gqeberha to level the two-match Test series.
South Africa lost the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban. Harmer told IOL Sport the team felt it had let itself down in that match.
“Now, I just feel like we’ve got a bunch of guys where it’s always different people putting their hands up. We’re not relying on one person,” Harmer said.
“We’re not reliant on if Aiden doesn’t score runs, then we’re in trouble, or if KG doesn’t take wickets, we’re in trouble,” he said. He also praised Wiaan Mulder, saying Mulder’s bowling “really broke it open for us”.
Harmer compared the current squad with the team he joined in 2015. He said many players back then could win games on their own.
In Gqeberha, captain Temba Bavuma scored 179 in the first innings. Marco Jansen played a strong all-round game. Harmer also scored his first Test half-century.
The spinner said the main pain in Durban came from missed chances. South Africa had Australia under pressure late on the first day but did not finish the job.
Australia then took control with the ball after a poor South African batting display, according to IOL Sport.
“I think everybody felt like we let ourselves down. If you look at the dismissals of that first innings, it was quite evident that there weren’t a lot of good balls that got us out,” Harmer said.
He said the team knew it was not playing at the level it wanted. After the defeat, the players focused on keeping things simple, staying disciplined and backing each other.
Harmer said losing to a better side is easier to accept. He said the Durban loss hurt more because the team did not lose on its own terms.
“But there was a lot of motivation and fire burning in the belly of a lot of the boys that we didn’t put our best foot forward,” he said.
He said some Australian players had come back into the Test team or were playing out of position in Durban. South Africa failed to take advantage of that in the first Test.
“So to be able to do that in PE, to put the pressure back onto them… and then to realise that actually they are human,” Harmer said.
He added that if South Africa bowl well and keep up the pressure, the team can get on top of Australia. “It was really nice to turn it around,” he said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.