Marco Jansen’s length did the trick for Proteas against Sri Lanka

Proteas hero Marco Jansen said that his astonishing seven-wicket haul against Sri Lanka on Thursday was as a result of “making the batters play” during day two of the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban.

The lanky quick showed very few signs of rust following a 12-week-long conditioning break as he helped blow the visitors away for just 42 – the lowest Test total in South Africa since readmission – with figures of 7/13 in 41 balls, the best return of his 14-Test career.

Speaking to the media following his memorable day, Jansen said that he felt mentally and physically fresh in his second Test of the year.

“Mentally, I feel a lot more refreshed, which is nice,” he said.

“Similar to the physical, it feels like I can go for longer periods of time and concentrate on a higher level, which is what you want – especially in Test cricket.

“Mentally, I feel like I’m in a good space.”

Alongside Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee, the 24-year-old rescued South Africa after they put up 191 runs in the first innings and cleaned up the visitors in only 83 balls, making it the shortest completed innings in 137 years of Test cricket.

Most importantly, the fast bowlers had given South Africa the upper hand in the match with a lead of 149 runs.

Having watched the visiting quicks dismantle the Proteas batters in bowler-friendly conditions on the opening two days, Jansen said that they identified that good-length deliveries were much more effective than a fuller length.

Moreover, the fast bowler stated that their intensity as a bowling group was an integral part of their success.

“After the first five wickets in our first innings, we saw that particular length or area was a good length, and then it was just a case of making the batters play. If you try and make them play as much as possible, then you’re always in the game,” said Jansen.

“I think we bowled really well in terms of our intensity and the energy on the ball, because we realised that the ball was moving nice and quick off the pitch – which is what we want as bowlers.

“We saw that if we put the ball in the right areas, with the ball nipping, we were always going to be in the game.”

Having started the second day in trouble on 80/4, South Africa needed at least one batter to stay at the crease long enough to dig the team out of their hole.

Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma was that batter on Thursday as the 34-year-old held his ground against a fired-up Sri Lankan pace attack.

The right-handed batter struck a classy 70 off 117 balls to help South Africa set a decent 191 all out.

Jansen emphasised that although the captain did not reach the three-figure mark, his knock carried the weight of a century, given the tough batting conditions on the opening two days of the Test at Kingsmead.

“Personally, I was thinking we were going to be bowled out for 120 or 130, and then his innings helped to propel us to 190,” said Jansen.

“His knock was crucial, especially with the ball seaming around and nipping around. It might not be a hundred, but the value of that 70 might as well count as a hundred.”

With a lead of 149, courtesy of a brilliant bowling performance, Bavuma once again ensured that South Africa had a decent 281-run lead at the end of the second day.

The right-handed batter finished unbeaten on a 45-ball 23, and alongside him, Tristan Stubbs stood his ground and finished unbeaten on 17 off 51 balls to see South Africa to 132/3 at close.

Having failed in the first innings, opening batters Aiden Markram (47) and Tony de Zorzi (17) put on a much better display yesterday despite going on to lose their wickets in the last session.