Proteas captain Faf du Plessis knows his team is not doing South Africa proud at the moment.
Smashed by 203 runs in the first Test against India, the Proteas went from bad to worse when they lost the second Test by an innings and 137 runs.
With coach Enoch Nkwe’s team being in a rebuilding phase, Du Plessis knows their performances is not acceptable for a proud cricketing nation.
He explains after their latest defeat: “This Test we weren’t even close to where we needed to be.
“When it comes to performance like that, you expect better. We let ourselves down and it’s disappointing.
“There are lots of questions that need answers and the players have to put their hands up
“It definitely hurts... we are a very proud cricketing nation and our performances in this Test doesn’t do that justice. I’m hurting and I’m sure a lot of guys too.”
SHAKEY START: Enoch Nkwe. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix.
Du Plessis and his charges have a chance to bounce back in the third and final Test, starting on Saturday.
And while he believes the youngsters in the team will benefit from the experience, he admits that there is no place to hide in international cricket.
The captain says: “There’s no place to hide. The best players in the world - the ones that stay there for the longest - are mentally the toughest
“With a very young team and new faces, consistency would be one of the things we’d want to work towards.
“Experience and consistency probably goes hand in hand.”