AUS vs SA: South Africa Khaya Zondo optimistic about Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch ahead of Boxing Day Test

South Africa batter Khaya Zondo is optimistic on the pitch for the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. This comes after the visitors were bundled out for 99 runs in the second innings and the Aussies required 35 runs to win the first Test match in Brisbane.

What followed was the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee grading the Gabba pitch as ‘below average’ and added that it was ‘not an even contest between bat and ball’. Zondo stated that the side was not too worried of having a lively wicket on Boxing Day and was optimistic for the management to make the contest fair.

"You can't play a game before you're actually in it. Going forward and thinking what the pitch is going to be like, is it going to be bad or good, I don't think that's a good space for us as a team or batsmen to really think about. I don't necessarily think they will prepare a pitch like they did last time because it's been deemed below average so I'm sure there's going to be an effort to make it more fair between bat and ball,” told Zondo as quoted by India Today.

The Gabba was probably the most difficult wicket I have played: Steve Smith

The Aussies registered a comprehensive win against the Proteas in the first of the three-match Test series as they now lead by 1-0. Meanwhile, Australia batter Steve Smith deemed the Gabba pitch as the ‘most difficult’ surface to bat on in Australia following the win against the African nation.

“As a batter I had like it to do a little bit less. I think it is a fine balance just trying to get that even contest between bat and ball. It (the Gabba) was probably the most difficult wicket I have played on here in Australia,” told Steve Smith.

"I think there were a few instances that the ball did some stuff that was just out of nowhere. Some balls were sitting in the wicket, making divots, some were zinging through and it was just incredibly hard to bat again. Whether it was unsafe or not, it is not really my place to judge, but it certainly was not easy to bat,” he added.