Gibson: Proteas batsmen lacked fight

Ottis Gibson says that he wants to see an improved batting performance from the Proteas in the final ODI at Centurion.

Proteas coach Ottis Gibson says he wants to see an improved batting performance from his side in the final ODI at Centurion.

The Proteas suffered yet another humiliating defeat to India, this time losing by 73 runs, which guaranteed a series victory with the visitors going 4-1 up with a game to play.

The match was lost by South Africa’s batsmen once again. Apart from Hashim Amla’s 71, the top six could only manage 114 runs between them. As a result, the Proteas were bowled out for 201 with eight overs to spare.

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Gibson emphasised the ‘lack of fight’ from his team.

‘We succumbed quite easily tonight to be bowled out in 42 overs, [it] was very disappointing from a batting point of view,’ he said on Tuesday.

‘Even with the bowling, there were some soft boundaries, which has gone on the whole series. [I want] a little bit more fight with the bat.

‘The India spinners got six or five again tonight. Over the course of almost every game, they have picked up at least five wickets. I know they are very good, but we are better than [what] we showed with the bat. I would like to see us naturally prove ourselves in that regard.’

Having bowled India out for 274, Gibson thought that the target was obtainable.

‘I thought at the halfway stage we gave ourselves a very good chance to keep ourselves in the series,’ he said. ‘To bowl them out for 270 was a great effort from the bowlers, and we let ourselves down with the bat.

‘It’s something we have been talking about for five games now. We showed at the Wanderers that we can play better than we have done but tonight was disappointing.’