Auckland, March 20 – After losing to New Zealand by eight wickets in the third T20I, South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj admitted that the team's inexperience showed in the defeat, but insisted it was not an excuse.
Put in to bat first at Eden Park, South Africa struggled against disciplined bowling and were reduced to 62/5 at the halfway mark, eventually ending at 136/9. New Zealand's chase was anchored by Tom Latham, who scored an unbeaten 63 after Devon Conway hit a brisk 39, as the hosts reached the target in 16.2 overs.
"We are very inexperienced, so you can understand the inconsistencies, but it's not an excuse. We are all professional enough; we are representing our country, so we just need to look back at ourselves and find ways to overcome this.
"We need to put aside our egos when it comes to playing on pitches like this, because it doesn't allow you to play with the freedom you want at times. I wouldn't use it as an excuse, even though we have a very inexperienced squad. The players are professional and mature enough to find ways to combat it," said Maharaj in the post-match press conference.
Another area of concern was South Africa's batsmen getting dismissed while trying to hit big shots. "It's definitely something we discussed… They felt that the only way was to target the short boundary, but it was disappointing, to say the least.
"The conversations we had before this game were about the short boundary. Our coaching staff mentioned that teams that focus too much on the short boundary actually shoot themselves in the foot, and that's exactly what happened with us today. We really need to find a way to combat these bowlers and adapt to the conditions sooner rather than later," added Maharaj.
The series now moves to Wellington for the fourth T20I on Sunday, with South Africa needing a sharper batting performance to stay alive in the series. "Hopefully, we can see some positives from that, but I think it's about focusing on ourselves and how we're going to go about our games. As much as the opposition changes, we're looking for a way to approach our business," concluded Maharaj.
