JP Duminy’s 52 and 4-16 against Ireland has given him the perfect confidence-booster going into the five-match ODI series against Australia.
According to the 31-year-old, his performance has come off the back of weeks of preparation and the implementation of some ‘mental tweaks’, and can’t wait to get stuck in to the opening match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.
‘I was very happy with that performance leading into the series coming up,’ he said to the media on Tuesday. ‘It was probably the perfect preparation going into what is going to be a big series for us. I’m happy with where my game is at the moment in terms of the practises we have had over the last few days, those have been good. I will go into the game with a little bit of confidence but I don’t want to read too much into those kind of performances.
‘Time in the middle is always the best formula,’ he added. ‘That is where you are going to execute the changes you have made. It’s also where you gain your confidence, where you get to understand your game better. We have been doing a lot of middle training over the last week and that helps you understand how you want to go about it. I’ve tweaked a few things and hopefully I can find that form I have been searching for.’
His performance on Sunday followed a gritty 88 in the second Test against New Zealand last month, and is the upward curve in performances he has been working towards after an inconsistent run with the bat. Duminy also hopes to play a bigger role with the ball, and has worked closely with Proteas spin bowling coach, Claude Henderson, on some technical and mental adjustments.
‘I have made a few mental changes and one or two technical changes to my game which have contributed to some decent performances of late,’ he explained. ‘I would definitely say it’s a continuation, I’ve gained some good confidence from that first innings in the second Test so I’m happy with the state of my game.
‘There have been a few technical things I’ve changed, not only with the bat but with the ball as well, it seems to be working well,’ he added. ‘We are still in the early stages of the season but I’m very happy with where it is at the moment. It’s something that I want to continue doing, which is to contribute a lot more with the ball in the shorter formats, I want to potentially bowl 10 overs in an ODI and four overs in a T20.’
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