Rassie van der Dussen says the way Anrich Nortje dealt with bouncers from England’s fast bowlers gave an indication of the kind of mental toughness to be expected from South Africa under new head coach Mark Boucher.
Nortje and Test debutant Van der Dussen shared a crucial second innings partnership of 91 in the first Test in Centurion, which played a big part in the home team eventually winning by 107 runs.
“When they came really hard at us, those are the things you live for. (Anrich) was obviously jumping around to those short balls,” Van der Dussen said ahead of the second Test, starting at Newlands on Friday.
“I said, listen, I promise you it may not be fun in the moment but the satisfaction afterwards, that’s the fun part of it, so hang in there, we’re going to get through this.
“Guys like Boucher, (Jacques) Kallis have brought that really hard mentality that I think you need in Test cricket. It’s a high-pressure environment out there on the field and you need that hardness, that toughness.”
