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Sydney Test not over yet: Boucher
South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher insisted that the third Test is far from over despite conceding an 118-run lead to Australia.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: January 05, 2009 02:40 PM IST
Read Time:2 min
Sydney:
Boucher, who played a gutsy knock of 89 and was the last man to be dismissed in South Africa's 325 in reply to Australia's 445, turned to the history books in an attempt to get even with Australia.
"The game's not finished yet, there's a history of Australian sides being bowled out cheaply at the SCG - 111 (in 1994) - I'm sure you guys remember it," Boucher said.
"But look our backs are up against the wall in this game, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that, but we've got to try and look at some positives and we have got fighters on our team.
"We've proven that over the whole series and I know there's a change room full of boys there that won't go down without a fight," Boucher said.
Boucher, who fell 11 runs short of his sixth Test hundred, predicted batting to get difficult for both sides in the rest of the Sydney Test.
"It's up there with the top three toughest wickets I've ever had to bat on on day three," said the veteran of 122 Tests.
"It's not nice staring down the wicket and knowing that you've got to run on the side of it so you don't fall down. But we can't control that, that's the playing surface that we've been given and we've just got to try and play on it as best we can," he said.
Meanwhile, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith is unlikely to take any further part in the Test after breaking his thumb on Sunday.
"Graeme went to Melbourne today to have the finger re-examined by the surgeon there," South Africa media manager Michael Owen-Smith said.
"It's been put back in a fresh cast, I understand his elbow was also treated but I'm not sure exactly what form of treatment took (place)."
South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher insisted that the third Test is far from over despite conceding an 118-run lead to Australia in the first innings.Boucher, who played a gutsy knock of 89 and was the last man to be dismissed in South Africa's 325 in reply to Australia's 445, turned to the history books in an attempt to get even with Australia.
"The game's not finished yet, there's a history of Australian sides being bowled out cheaply at the SCG - 111 (in 1994) - I'm sure you guys remember it," Boucher said.
"But look our backs are up against the wall in this game, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that, but we've got to try and look at some positives and we have got fighters on our team.
"We've proven that over the whole series and I know there's a change room full of boys there that won't go down without a fight," Boucher said.
Boucher, who fell 11 runs short of his sixth Test hundred, predicted batting to get difficult for both sides in the rest of the Sydney Test.
"It's up there with the top three toughest wickets I've ever had to bat on on day three," said the veteran of 122 Tests.
"It's not nice staring down the wicket and knowing that you've got to run on the side of it so you don't fall down. But we can't control that, that's the playing surface that we've been given and we've just got to try and play on it as best we can," he said.
Meanwhile, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith is unlikely to take any further part in the Test after breaking his thumb on Sunday.
"Graeme went to Melbourne today to have the finger re-examined by the surgeon there," South Africa media manager Michael Owen-Smith said.
"It's been put back in a fresh cast, I understand his elbow was also treated but I'm not sure exactly what form of treatment took (place)."
Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket Mark Boucher
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