South Africa have “unfinished business” in New Zealand, one-day captain A.B. de Villiers said yesterday.
Speaking ahead of the team’s departure for New Zealand, De Villiers said South Africa were keen to avenge their defeat by the Black Caps in a dramatic 2015 World Cup semi-final, which was marked by controversy over South Africa’s team selection.
The Proteas brought in Vernon Philander for fellow fast bowler Kyle Abbott in that game, a decision made — it was claimed — to ensure that four players of color were in the starting eleven.
Photo: AP
South Africa travel as the world’s leading one-day team after completing a 5-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park on Friday.
They are to play a one-off Twenty20 international in Auckland next Friday, with the first of five one-day internationals in Hamilton two days later.
De Villiers said the No. 1 ranking gave the team confidence, but also put pressure on the players.
“Being the No. 1 team in the world, people expect you to play a certain level of cricket all the time, but with the team ethic we have at the moment I think we’ll thrive under that kind of pressure,” he said. “It definitely gives you confidence as well. There’s a reason why we’re No. 1 and that’s because we’re playing good cricket.”
“We’ve got a bit of unfinished business there from the 2015 World Cup and we’re very keen to play good cricket against a team that has also been playing well,” he said.
“I think we deserve to be No. 1 and we want to carry on playing the way we have been,” De Villiers said.
South Africa moved to the top of the one-day international rankings with the 88-run win over Sri Lanka at Centurion on Friday, with victory set up by openers Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock, who both hit centuries as South Africa amassed 384-6.
Sri Lanka never threatened to overhaul that total, but batted 50 overs to finish on 296-8 thanks to Asela Gunaratne’s maiden ODI century.
INDIA, BANGLADESH
Reuters
Bangladesh fought back against India through Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehedi Hasan — who all passed 50 — to reach 322-6 at the close of the third day’s play in the one-off Test in Hyderabad, India, yesterday.
Bangladesh’s most experienced pair of Shakib and Mushfiqur added 107 for the fifth wicket before the latter combined with the 19-year-old Mehedi for an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 87 to frustrate the hosts.
However, the visitors still face a steep task if they are to avoid the follow-on in response to India’s mammoth first innings total of 687-6 declared.
At stumps, captain Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 81 with Mehedi not out on 51, his maiden Test fifty, at the other end.
The visitors need 166 additional runs to force India to bat again.
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