Proteas captain Faf du Plessis has called for his team to show a killer instinct as they bid to square up their Test series against Sri Lanka.
South Africa were stunned in the first of the two-match series in Durban last weekend, when Kusal Perera scored a match-winning 153* to snatch victory from the dominant hosts.
And Faf says they have to be better to finish off the job in Port Elizabeth and prevent the visitors claiming a historic first series win in SA.
“We were disappointed. We were in control for most of the Test match and then something brilliant [Perera’s innings] took it away from us,” he says.
“There’s areas where we can improve, we would have liked to put more runs on the board, and wrap up their tail a bit better.
“So the guys are really motivated. The disappointing thing is that it’s a short series, so the important thing is that we square up the series.”
Speaking about the void left by injured Vernon Philander, Faf says he is “leaning towards” selecting Wiaan Mulder as a batting allrounder.
“The nice thing that Wiaan offers you is that he is actually an extra batsman.
“Wiaan is more of a batter than Vernon is. He brings balance to the team.”
Faf adds that the Proteas have a proud record at St George’s Park, which has become a “fortress” over the years.