According to Proteas centre Ryan Rickelton, there is no middle ground in the upcoming concluding day of the intense series in Newlands: 'It is either a win or a loss. There will be no draw tomorrow (Saturday).'.
Rickelton noted that he would not believe it if he were told that the series would go to the fifth day of the third Test, with the possibility of three or even two results. He characterized the series as special, noting that it was dynamic, with constant overtaking and the return of initiative by both teams, despite errors and successes.
The series has been recognized as one of the greatest because, unlike events eight years ago, it lacked drama and disputes, focusing exclusively on the game in the center of the field.
The fourth day of the match was full of events. Thanks to the partnership of Ryan Rickelton and Vian Mulder, which brought 156 runs for the sixth position, the home team almost recovered its strength. However, Australia interrupted this rise by dismissing Rickelton shortly after the left-hander reached his third century in tests, which triggered a collapse for Proteas, losing four wickets for only 16 runs.
Nevertheless, the game did not end. South Africa had another episode when Mulder, approaching his personal record, along with the last player Kagiso Rabada, added valuable 36 runs for the tenth position.
Rickelton called this partnership 'very big' and 'massive', adding that it was disappointing because they were in a good position to reach 300 or 350 runs, but the result forced them out of that chance. Nevertheless, he believes that the possibility of scoring around 290 runs and forcing the opponents to do so on the fifth day is psychologically very difficult, and he hopes that the last 20 or 30 runs will be enough for victory.
When asked how he sees Proteas taking all 10 wickets, given that the pitch remains 'flat' and 'good for the batter', he replied that with the new ball there are opportunities for scoring runs as well as taking wickets.
He suggested that the slow pace of the game could play a role, and that Australia's attempt to score around three runs per over throughout the day would be a serious test, especially on the slowing and deteriorating surface. Rickelton also noted that the ball is 'fierce' for right-handed batters when turning, and since Australia has four left-handers, the Proteas team plans to put pressure on them, whether by waiting or attacking according to the individual style of the players.
