Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj says they are not only targeting to secure qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) but also continue their fine form in Test cricket.
South Africa takes on Sri Lanka in their upcoming two-Test Series at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban. The match is set for Wednesday morning.
The Proteas are unbeaten in their last five Test series matches on home soil. They won their last Test outing against Sri Lanka in 2021. And Maharaj said they are motivated to tighten the grip and turn their home ground into a fortress.
A huge achievement and a prestige
“There have been a lot of away series victories. And I think that’s the beauty of the (World) Test Championship and fighting for a spot in the final. Because it’s a huge achievement and a prestige to be there,” Maharaj said on Monday.
“But I don’t think we’re focused too much on that. We know what we must do as a unit. We’ve done that well in the last couple of series away from home and we’ve done well.
“It’s about making sure that we make home our fortress. There are a lot of guys that have played a lot of domestic cricket at the venues to be able to adapt accordingly. And to just focus on that.”
Maharaj went on to praise red-ball coach Shukri Conrad for preparing the team well enough for the task at hand.
“Shuks is quite brilliant at making sure that we’re just focused on the task at hand. And that’s why it has shown in the results. I don’t think we look too much into it.
SA is number five in the current WTC standings
“We just want to try and display the brand of cricket that we want to play. And to adapt to the conditions a lot quicker rather than later,” he added.
South Africa sits at number five in the current WTC standings. And it is in a good position to finish in the top two. That’s if they win their Test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in December. Which will ultimately result in them qualifying for the final in London next year.
