Proteas bowler Nortje expecting a good wicket with ‘pace and bounce’ at the MCG

Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortjé is expecting a good wicket with pace and bounce at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the much anticipated Boxing Day Test against Australia on Monday.

The Aussies took a 1-0 lead in the first of three matches which finished inside two days at the Gabba in Brisbane last week where the pitch was rated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as “below average”.

As they stepped up their preparations in Melbourne, Nortje said they have put the Gabba, which was conducive for fast bowling, behind them and the focus now is on levelling the series.

“We will have to wait and see but it seems like a good wicket with decent pace and bounce. I don’t think there will that much side movement as we had at the Gabba. For our side we will just try to stick to the basics,” he said.

“I know it is simple to say but for us it is about using our bouncers and as a bowling unit we don’t think there are going to be massive demons on the wicket. I have never played at the MCG but we think it is going to be a good contest.”

To beat the Aussies, Nortje pointed out they will have to reproduce the performance of the second innings in the first Test where Kagiso Rabada claimed four wickets in less than eight overs before going on to lose the match by six wickets.

“I don’t think we are going to change anything compared to what we did in the second innings of the last Test, we are going to come out the same way we did. It is not going to be as easy. There was a lot happening on that wicket but we must just try to stick to our standards.

“KG bowled really well on the one side and just coming hard as we can during that session or short little time out and making it uncomfortable. I wanted to make sure that it’s not going to be easy for them to get their target, we wanted to make sure that it is going to be hard to get it.”

With the match at the Gabba having finished in under two days, Nortje said they didn’t drop the tools with extra time but went back to the drawing board to correct mistakes.

“Luckily we had some facilities in Brisbane and guys have been active, we have not been sitting and chilling at home and doing nothing. In the last game probably even a half session the game could have been different, we could have been in a winning position.

“You can’t look at losing by six wickets and say it’s a big margin on that wicket, it might have been a small margin. We are not really focused on the last game, we are focused on what’s going to come up now and try to prepare again.

“Everyone is in a really good space mentally and physically wise. We are just looking forward to starting the game now.”

Nortje will be part of the Proteas fast bowling attack that includes Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen who will be looking to exploit what is expected to be a good wicket at the MCG.