South African batting needs improvement: Coach

Cape Town:

South Africa will have to sort out its batting woes ahead of the third one-dayer against India here on Tuesday if they desire to seize the initiative in the five-match series, according to coach Corrie van Zyl.

Van Zyl said it is not difficult to bounce back against India provided his team rectifies its mistake and picks themselves up ahead of the crucial encounter.

"It is not difficult at all (to bounce back). Indian showed that to us on Saturday by winning the match. No question why we cannot do the same," Van Zyl said on the eve of the third ODI.

"It is a question of picking yourself up and perform. In the last match we batted poorly. We know what we have done. We have to go on the field and rectify the same tomorrow.

"You have to be honest and realistic about the fact that Kallis brings balance to the middle order and to the team. Having said that we batted well in the first game. Now we have to apply ourselves better and improve our shot selection. We have that ability to get good amount of runs on the board. Hope we do that in the remaining matches," he added.

Van Zyl said they are planning to rope in a specialist spinner for Tuesday's match.

"It's not about experimenting but it is about getting the right team on the park for the important match. We are thinking about that (playing a specialist spinner)," he said.

He also dismissed suggestions that toss proved to be a crucial factor in the opening two matches.

"All of us know that ball does a bit in the second half of the game, but I will not buy that thought of doing well only if you win the toss.

"It is basically in your mind. Weather winning or losing the toss, you have to put up good performance on the cricket field. I have played here many times and you can bat well in the second innings as well," Van Zyl said.

Asked about the bad experience of losing the last match from a winning position, the Protea coach said, "Every bad experience you have to turn it around. I know how the team feels about Wanderers loss.

"If you work through that and analyse what went wrong, it will help you become stronger as human being and as a team too. One day when we achieve something big then we can look back and say how we felt that day and then that will make achievement even sweeter."

Asked about the Indian team, which is battling with injuries, Van Zyl said even without key players the visitors are a formidable outfit.

"I don't think that Indian team is a depleted side in the absence of few major players. I think about what we as a team are and how we can get better. I am not really thinking about whether Indian team is full side of depleted side. It doesn't matter. We are strong enough side and we need to play well," he said.