IND v SA 2019: Proteas confident going into second Test despite heavy loss in Vizag, says Faf du Plessis 

The visitors showed gumption but eventually went 1-0 down in the three-match series.

South Africa will be hoping to take the confidence forward from Vizag | AFP

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said his team has only grown in confidence after a wonderful batting performance in the first innings of the first Test against India in Visakhapatnam despite succumbing to a 203-run loss in the end. 

The visitors posted a strong 431 in response to India's mammoth 502/7 (declare), conceding only a lead of 71 runs when everyone anticipated the hosts to simply dominate them. Dean Elgar, Quinton De Kock scored memorable hundreds, while Faf struck a fine half-century. 

"Yeah, really proud of the first innings, the way we batted. A lot of new players in our squad," Du Plessis told reporters on Sunday (October 6). "There was an opportunity for us to go the other way and we didn't."

Read Also: Faf du Plessis says Rohit-Pujara in second innings took the game away from them

"We played really well, senior players put their hands up in Quinny (Quinton de Kock) and Dean (Elgar) getting fantastic hundreds and to get 400 in the sub-continent is never anything easy to do."

Even in the second innings, chasing an impregnable 395, the Proteas found themselves 70/8 but then their lower order showed a lot of resolve and kept India on the field for long before finally getting all out for 191. 

"Getting 400 in that second innings (of the match), we felt we were right in the game. We needed something brilliant in the second innings and unfortunately, it was close for us happening," said Du Plessis. 

"There was a few half-chances that didn't go our way and that's sort of where the game slipped away. We tried to stay in the fight, stay in the contest."

Rohit Sharma, having scored a fantastic 176 in the first innings, further took the game away from Faf & his men in the second via a masterful 127. "The way Rohit played, especially in that second innings, made it tough for us. To put up a score of 400 in the last innings was always going to be a little bit too much," Du Plessis said. 

"Obviously also the nature of the day five pitch today was the first day we saw something coming really through. But I thought it was a really good pitch, really good Test cricket."

The skipper also termed the surface in Vizag as an "ideal Test wicket", Quite contrary to how he felt about most of the surfaces encountered on the disastrous last trip to India in 2015. 

"First two days flat, three and four spin and day five it goes up and down. That's a really good Test wicket for me."

"Look, I think we have got a lot of confidence in our dressing room and belief because of what happened in the first innings."

"I do think the pitches will probably take a bit more spin in the next two Test matches," Du Plessis concluded. 

The second Test will be played in Pune from October 10 onwards. 

(Inputs from PTI)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 07 Oct, 2019

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