ENG vs SA 2022 | Keshav Maharaj speaks about opening win over England

South African players celebrate win

England’s so-called ‘BazBall’ approach came to a halt as they were humbled by the visiting South Africans at Lord’s last week. While it remains to be seen whether if it was a temporary setback or a long-lasting one, Keshav Maharaj has given his take on what his side’s victory might have done to the hosts.

ENG vs SA 2022: Keshav Maharaj believes Proteas’ win dented England’s morale

South African spinner Keshav Maharaj was one of the architects of his side’s emphatic win over the high-flying hosts. The 32-year-old scored 41 handy runs with the bat and claimed two wickets in the second English innings.

Ahead of the second Test at Old Trafford, the cricketer was engaged in a news conference where he talked about the impact of the opening match of the series. When asked whether South Africa had struck a psychological blow to the Englishmen at Lord’s, the spinner said:

“I’d like to think so”.

Maharaj, who has played 43 Tests for his country, also praised the Ben Stokes’ drawcards for playing “some really good cricket” of late. Referring to England’s recent 3-0 win over New Zealand and a triumph in a crunch Test against India, the cricketer said that the Englishmen have been successfully “fighting themselves out of tough situations”.

South Africans celebrate series-leading win at Lord’s

Maharaj also praised his captain Dean Elgar and pointed out the dramatic improvement of South Africa in the last 18 months of Test cricket. He said:

“I think we are more sound as a unit. I think we know what to do and go about our business a lot better. And there's more clarity and role definition within the team. I think that's been Dean's mantra from the time he's taken over as the test captain.”

ENG vs SA 2022 updates

The second Test will go underway at Manchester’s Old Trafford on August 25. Trailing 0-1 in the series, the hosts need to win the upcoming Test to bring the three-match competition to levelling terms before the decider.

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