Shukri Conrad gave an honest assessment of the Proteas' first-test defeat to Australia, pointing to an eight-month break from red-ball cricket as a possible factor, while stressing there are no excuses.
The Proteas coach highlighted the impact of recent injuries, particularly the absence of Kagiso Rabada, whose experience and quality were sorely missed in the bowling attack. Conrad also felt the spinners showed signs of rust after a lengthy spell away from test cricket.
On a positive note, Aiden Markram's second-innings resilience stood out, and Conrad expects the batting unit to do some introspection ahead of the second test.
𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘 for Aiden Markram 👏 He is the first South African to achieve the milestone in this Test match 🇿🇦 📺 Stream #SAvAUS on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw https://t.co/TB1iTHYJZM
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 13, 2026
Looking forward, players such as Matthew Breetzke and Marques Ackerman could come into contention, potentially adding greater depth to the Proteas batting line-up.
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