'Can't keep making the same mistakes' - Rassie van der Dussen reflects on T20I series whitewash against West Indies

A plethora of unresolved queries and a newfound set of worries have clouded the South African team's outlook subsequent to their whitewash in the three-match T20I series against the West Indies. Serving as a preparatory encounter for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, South Africa would've aimed for a superior outing in the Caribbean, particularly considering the venue's significance as the host location for the marquee tournament in June. 

Stand-in skipper for the bilateral series, Rassie van der Dussen, who was standing by for Aiden Markram, who was a part of the IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad who came runners-up in the 17th edition of the showpiece event, was perplexingly left out of the 15-member squad, despite the 35-year-old being the second-highest run-getter in T20 cricket in 2024.

In the post-match conference following the third T20I, which marked his side's most significant defeat in the series, van der Dussen expressed disappointment, particularly noting the circumspect approach of their batting upfront. He emphasized the necessity for greater proactivity from the top-order throughout the series, stressing the importance of courageously attacking, especially in the initial overs. He underscored the challenge posed by the attritioned and softened ball in the latter stages, contrasting it with the ease of scoring with the new ball, and the fact that the batters should've gone full throttle in the first six, much like the West Indies, who hoarded 64, 51, and 83 in the three games, respectively.

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"From a batting front, we can maybe be just a bit braver. We saw the way that the West Indies play, especially in the powerplay. They really take it on. When the ball's new, it's easier to score. It gets tough towards the back end when the ball gets soft," stated van der Dussen at the post-match conference.

van der Dussen attributed their struggles partly to fatigue and partly to a delayed assessment of conditions, maintaining a critical stance. He emphasized their failure to adapt quickly enough to the conditions, also highlighting the toll of extended layovers during their journey to the Caribbean via Miami. He noted the tangible impact of these factors in the first T20I, where, apart from Reeza Hendricks' explosive innings of 87 (51), no other batter managed to surpass a score of even 20. Nevertheless, the experienced athlete stressed that the team could ill-afford to repeat the same mistakes.

"We just couldn't adapt early enough. We had a long week in terms of layovers in Miami and so forth. We saw that in the first match, but you can't keep making the same mistakes."

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Should there be any confusion regarding the sole accountability of the top order, it's crucial to clarify that this notion is misguided. With the exception of van der Dussen, batters from No. 4  to No. 7 found it challenging to achieve even two double-digit scores throughout the series. Furthermore, pacemen Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, and Anrich Nortje faced their share of struggles, travelling the distance, particularly evident with Nortje's inability to claim a single wicket in the two matches he participated in.