South African and Australian batsmen were mentally cluttered

Yesterday, at Cape Town the cricketing had world witnessed one of the most astonishing days of cricket where, after the lunch break it turned out to be a feast of wickets. Batsmen came in and in the twinkle of an eye they marched for the dressing rooms. 294 runs were scored throughout the day at the cost of 23 wickets and according to Daniel Bretting, “19 of them in an uninterrupted landslide of skilful bowling and abject batting between lunch and the first hour after tea.”

According to me the Cape Town track had something for the bowlers but it wasn’t an unplayable one. The track had deviations but it wasn’t a batman’s nightmare to trigger carnage. Batsmen from the both the sides have players who are well at home in applying to the conditions have the ability to take on the challenge to the opposition. Michael proved it on the first day on more difficult circumstances and the same was expected from a Smith or Kallis and again, the same was expected from an Australian batsman in their second innings.

But sadly, it didn’t happen.

But why such carnage took place? What led the batsmen fall a prey to the bowlers?

Before taking guard a batsman has to adjust his mental focus through proper ‘Awareness’ which means that the batsman is well aware of the situation surrounding him and not acutely focusing on a particular thing such as, the pitch or the opposition bowl. After being well aware of the situation a batsman gets into ‘Fine Focus’ and ‘Fierce Focus.’

But if a batsman is acutely focusing on a particular situation while adjusting his mental awareness then his mind gets cluttered and it’s obvious that a batsman will commit errors in substantial proportions.

Both the South African and Australian batsmen couldn’t adjust their mental awareness and acutely focused on the track which triggered a panic attack amongst the batsmen of both sides.

If the South African batting had been upsetting then the batting of the Australians in the second innings had been horrible. After lunch Shane Watson and Ryan Harris produced a spell where they bowled wicket to wicket to hassle the Proteas batsmen. Both Harris and Watson had been teasing but not as fearsome and dangerous as Steyn on the first day. The Proteas batsmen were too acutely focused on the track and kept on loosing wickets as they couldn’t adjust their strict mental routine.

Of the eleven Proteas wickets in the first innings, 4 of the batsmen have fallen a trap to lbw and 3 (2 of them are opening batsmen) of the batsmen’s furniture had been disturbed. This indicates that the batsmen’s feet were freeze and tracks aiding movements with low bounce an astute foot-work was needed. Sadly, it wasn’t there amongst the Proteas batsmen.

Australia took a lead of 188 as the South Africans were bundled out for just 96 and when they started their second innings, the Oz kicked away a dominant position on an incomprehensible second day.

Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel were the wreckers in chief for South Africa, bowling with pace and venom in helpful conditions, but it must be said they had plenty of help from the Aussie batsmen who were mentally cluttered as they never got into the zone of “Awareness” and like the Proteas batsmen they too were acutely focused on the track which led to such a dismal performance.

Ricky Ponting was out due to poor judgment of the line and again walked too across his stumps and was trapped lbw. Brad Haddin’s mind was surely surrounded by smokes as the manner in which he got out left all clueless as Brydon Coverdale described, “At 18 for 5, he was the last of the recognised batsmen. Instead of concentration he chose conflagration, blazing away to the leg side and trying to smash Vernon Philander over off. He edged behind for a duck. He had also thrown his wicket away in the first innings.”

A Pathetic, horrible, disgraceful and shameful batting display from Australia on a track which had no big cracks, no major grassy spots and no indication of the carnage to come and the same can be said about the Proteas batsmen who are not that kind of a mediocre stuff to be skittled out for just 96. Both the sides are competing for the number 1 Test spot but after yesterday’s pathetic batting display, I now wonder are they really worthy to compete for that?

In cricket, great batsmen have the technique and experience to fetch runs but when they are mentally cluttered they tend to struggle horribly. They tend to display ‘Brain Explosions’ as they are not well aware of the situation and acutely focus on a particular situation. Both South Africa and Australian batsmen were acutely focused on the track and which never let them to adjust their mental ‘Awareness’ before getting into the zone of  ‘Fine Focus’ and ‘Fierce Focus’ and for which such a crazy days of cricket took place at Cape Town.

Both the South African and Australian batsmen were mentally cluttered.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar