Interim head coach Malibongwe Maketa admits the Proteas will need the tail to wag to ensure they get enough runs to be competitive against Australia.
While South Africa boast a strong pace attack, their batting has been a severe weakness of the team for some time.
The inexperienced lineup leans heavily on captain Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma, neither of whom averages above 40 in Test cricket.
“If you look the way we’ve played in the past, our bowlers have allowed us to get into good positions by getting 350-360,” Maketa said ahead of the first Test in Brisbane, which starts on Saturday.
“So from that point of view partnerships are key for us and the bowlers know their role … with top-order batters and that has worked well for us.”
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One player who fits the bill perfectly is 22-year-old Marco Jansen, who burst onto the scene with some brisk left-arm pace delivered from his 2.07m frame.
However, it is his batting that has been the biggest pleasant surprise for the Proteas.
His form with the bat earned him a promotion to No 6 in the order in the Test against England at Lords, where he scored 48 on route to helping South Africa win.
“We are growing him in terms of his all-round ability and he can do something special with the bat,” Maketa said of Jansen.
“From our point of view he’s a work in progress and we know he could and he is capable of being part of at least two fifty partnerships.
“We are going to have to back our batters to score the runs and our bowlers to take the wickets.
“It’s been a sharp rise. We know for a fact that people around the world have taken note and now coming up in this series it will be a different challenge, people have seen enough of him to come up with different plans.
“But when it comes to his performances we are very pleased because he gives us the variety we need for our attack. In terms of pace and height and the areas he hits, it sets him apart in terms of a lot of other left armers.”
