South Africa's bowling can get better results with improved leadership: Ian Chappell

NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels that South Africa's bowling attack can get better results in Test cricket if the leadership of the team can be improved. At the Boxing Day Test in the MCG, South Africa were thrashed by an innings and 182 runs by a rampant Australian team, making it the first time since 2005/06 that the Proteas didn't win a Test series in the country.

It is also South Africa's second successive Test series loss after 1-2 defeat to England in August-September. They will now play for pride in the third and final Test at Sydney starting from January 4.

"While South Africa's bowling attack possesses real ability, their wicket-taking capability could be drastically improved. And they are handicapped by their side's poor batting. A team that is repeatedly provided with low scores and has to regularly be back bowling after yet another failure by their batting side finds its strength sapping and morale dropping."

"There is also the matter of captaincy. Anrich Nortje aside, the rest of the attack could have performed better in Australia with improved leadership. Elgar, like many of his fellow international leaders, is not well versed in captaincy on Australian pitches."

"The bowlers must first understand that producing the odd really good ball interspersed with some deliveries that can be dispatched won't win much in Australia. Bowlers have to keep producing good deliveries to talented batters and their demeanour has to alert opponents to their wicket-taking desire," wrote Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo on Sunday.

Though Kagiso Rabada has taken ten wickets, Anrich Nortje has been the most impressive South Africa pacer, troubling the Australian batters with his quick pace while taking five wickets in the process. Chappell remarked Nortje is a better bet than Lungi Ngidi to be opening the bowling with Rabada and picking wickets with the new ball. IANS

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