Johannesburg – Proteas captain Faf du Plessis was made to field a host of questions to do with the Wanderers wicket following his side’s 63-run loss to India in the third Test on Saturday. 

On a wicket that came in for huge criticism throughout the Test match and almost saw the match abandoned, South Africa were overpowered by a more resilient Indian side that simply performed better in all departments in Johannesburg. 

Du Plessis has always been vocal on his desire to have wickets prepared to the benefit of his side when playing Tests in South Africa, but he feels let down by the strips prepared at both Centurion and now the Wanderers. 

The Cape Town wicket for the first Test pleased both sides despite South Africa winning in nine sessions, but the wicket at Centurion did nothing to provide the pace and bounce that Du Plessis had requested. 

“We never asked for something excessive,” Du Plessis explained.

“We never asked for extra grass. All we asked for was a typical South African wicket that has pace and bounce.

“Although this wicket had pace and bounce, it was obviously a lot more.

“So we’re pretty disappointed with that. It’s disappointing to see that once again we’re not getting it right. I don’t know how to answer it or how to change it, but it obviously needs to improve.”

The skipper acknowledged that, on day three, the pitch had become a danger to player safety.

“I don’t think so on day one and two. The only time I got a little bit concerned was when Dean (Elgar) got hit in the face,” he said.

“Even in the Indian innings, there was quite a few guys that got hit on the finger quite regularly … much more than usual.

“You know excessive sideways movement is tough, but it’s not dangerous. As soon as guys started getting hit from a length, that’s when we thought it might be dangerous.”

Du Plessis, simply, expects more from those preparing wickets in South Africa.

“I’m in an environment where I have to score runs and perform, so it’s the same,” he said.

“If there is an option to get a pitch in the way that we want to, you would hope that the experience would be there to get the pitches right.”