Marco Jansen delighted after impressive first year with South Africa: Couldn’t have asked for a better start

Australia vs South Africa: Marco Jansen was delighted after completing his first year with the Proteas. He has already played 13 matches at the international level.

Jansen delighted after impressive first year with South Africa. Courtesy: AP

By India Today Web Desk: South Africa fast-bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen was delighted after completing his first year with the national team. Although he made his debut for the Proteas in December 2021, Jansen played most of his international cricket in the year 2022.

In 9 Tests, 3 ODIs and 1 T20I, Jansen has picked up 44 wickets with four four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul to show for his efforts. He also has a half-century to his name, which he scored in a Test match against Australia recently at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Jansen also finished as South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests in 2022 with 36 scalps from eight matches at an impressive average of 19.02.

“It didn’t start great, my first over in Test cricket went for 14 [12]. I haven’t really thought about it yet or reflected, but it’s gone way better than expected. Couldn’t have asked for a better start, I guess,” Jansen was quoted as saying.

Jansen recently played two Tests against Australia where he picked up four wickets. After finishing with a three-fer at The Gabba, Jansen had only one wicket to show for his efforts at the MCG. But in Melbourne, he gave Steve Smith a tough time on the second day.

“Think KG came to me and said, ‘listen, Marco, keep going because he’s not looking comfortable’. Think that was after my third over bowling to him,” he stated.

“I didn’t even recognise that he was, not struggling, but finding it a bit challenging and only after that I could see that I should shy away, keep going, keep going, hitting the hard length,” Jansen added.

After losing the MCG Test, South Africa moved down to No.4 and made it very tough for themselves to advance to the World Test Championship final. Jansen reckoned that going forward, players need to put their hands up in crises.

“It’s making that mental shift and making a conscious decision to say I’m going to put my hand up and do whatever it takes to influence the team in a good way or get the team over the line.

“Personally, for me, I know everyone gives their best, it’s trying to figure out what we can do as individuals to influence the team in a good way or influence the game,” Jansen said.

South Africa will be looking to avoid a series whitewash when they face the Aussies in the third and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).