Breetzke finding level of comfort while batting at number 4 performing an entirely different role having been pushed down.
Breetzke getting ‘comfortable’ in new role at No. 4 in ODIs.
Matthew Breetzke began his life in one-day internationals as a reliable run-scorer at the top of the batting order, but this series has seen him take on a contrasting responsibility. Featuring for the first time both in India and against India, he has been asked to adapt to a new position in the lineup.
With experienced heads Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, and skipper Temba Bavuma occupying the first three spots, Breetzke has been slotted in at No. 4. He has made that adjustment seamlessly, underlined by a decisive fifty that steered South Africa to victory in their demanding 359-run chase on Wednesday.
“Obviously, I’m just getting more experience now batting at four, which I’m starting to feel a little bit more comfortable in the role,” Breetzke said on the eve of the series decider in Visakhapatnam. “So that helps, and I think the more I play at number four and in this role, hopefully the better I’ll get.”
“Obviously, the first game there was a little bit of trouble that we were in, so I had to sort of build the innings and then in the second game it was about just managing the guys that were coming in.
“We lost obviously Aiden [after his century] and then I had to sort of manage [Dewald] Brevis there and then just managing those guys and letting them bat around me, they’ve got the explosive power – it was just about really looking to build a partnership with them.”
Breetzke also highlighted the depth and power in South Africa’s batting line-up. “I think we’ve got a nice balance in our side with a couple of guys that are just proper batters, and then you’ve got powerhouses like Brevis and [Marco] Jansen that can sort of change the game on its head.
“We’ve seen [Corbin] Bosh in the last two matches play some really special innings, I think as the top four, it gives you a lot of confidence; you can take a little bit more time because, you know, they’ve got that explosive power at the back end. So for us, it’s just about setting that platform up for them to come in at the end and do their thing.
“There’s a lot of confidence in the batting group at the moment, but we will have to do it again tomorrow.”