COACH PRINCE CALLS ON PROTEAS BATTERS TO BE MORE ADAPTABLE V INDIA

PROTEAS batting coach Ashwell Prince has called on the visitors to be more “adaptable” in the second T20 against India in New Chandigarh at 3.30pm on Thursday.

The Proteas were blown away in the first of the five-match series for a record low 74 on a bowler-friendly surface in Cuttack.

Prince wysed: “I thought the pitch was good. Not every pitch that you bat on is supposed to be a 220 pitch.

“The Indian bowlers asked a lot of good questions and ultimately we weren’t able to answer. I think, as a cricketer, that should be a massive word [adaptable] in everybody’s vocabulary because in cricket matches, you pitch up.

“When you look down at the surface, you have an idea of what it’s going to do, but you don’t really know what it’s going to do until you bat and bowl on it. Being able to adapt to what it’s doing on the day, that’s the key.”

India’s top-order also struggled with the hosts reduced to 104/5 before allrounder Hardik Pandya changed the course of the match with a gevaarlike 59 not out.

Prince believes Pandya showed the Proteas the template on how to score runs on a tricky surface.

He added: “Hardik obviously played an outstanding innings. He picked the right moments to attack with the spin on initially because there wasn’t a lot of spin on offer.”

The Proteas have the experienced Reeza Hendricks as part of their squad, and could consider beefing up the starting XI with the 36-year-old, but Prince feels that the hele batting unit needs to take greater accountability.

Prince said: “There has been a lot of changes in terms of personnel, injury etc, but we don’t want to use them as excuses.

“We need to find more consistency and, obviously after batting, that's one department that we’ll have to improve on quick.”