Jansen wants to be the player South Africa can lean on

Marco Jansen does not want to be defined by the runs, wickets or praise that come with his growing stature as a Test all-rounder.

The 26-year-old wants to be the player South Africa can lean on when the pressure is greatest — and after a remarkable fourth day, that philosophy is increasingly evident.

“I just want to be a player that the team can lean on, especially in hard, tough moments,” he said after taking 5/33 as Australia were bowled out for 99, before the tourists reached 156/4 in their second innings, still 170 runs behind when stumps were drawn.

“If I can contribute one percent to the team winning, then I’m more than happy.”

That attitude has been valuable in a Test that has changed direction. After the first two days were heavily disrupted by rain, SA needed to maximize every opportunity when play resumed, and Jansen said the team avoided getting ahead of itself.

“We knew we were going to have to bat well and get a decent score,” he said. “As soon as we got that score on the board ... we knew that we were going to have to bowl them out.”

For Jansen, the key was remaining focused on the immediate task rather than the possible twists of the match becoming a distraction.

“You can get yourself in trouble if you think too far ahead of the game,” he said. “We did that really well in terms of just focusing on what we can do, with this present ball and then next ball.”

That same clarity has also been central to Jansen’s development with the bat. His 85 off 100 balls on Tuesday, came after South Africa had slipped to 110/6.

The tall right-hand batter said the biggest change has been mental rather than technical.

“For me personally, it’s all about my mental approach,” he said. “I’m not the technically most sound or beautiful-looking batter. I know how to trust my hands.”

He admitted there had previously been doubts around his decision-making. Now he is trying to commit more firmly to his choices.

“If I just go into an innings thinking positively, I’m already giving myself the best chance to succeed [with] whatever shot I’m trying to execute,” he said.

That approach was evident in Jansen’s 132-run partnership with skipper Temba Bavuma as the hosts recovered from 110/6 to declare on 425/9.

His five-wicket haul was central to the Aussies’ first-innings collapse, with Kagiso Rabada, Wiaan Mulder and Anrich Nortje also contributing.

The former Warriors player felt conditions at St George’s Park suited their attack better than Durban, where the tourists won the opening Test by 214 runs.

“The ball was seaming and nipping a bit as well with the new ball,” he said when speaking comparing conditions between the two coastal venues. “We bowled in better areas for longer periods.”

For Jansen, the broader lesson applies to every part of Test cricket, in the longest format.

“Test cricket is all about resilience, coupled with consistency,” he said. “It’s very easy to let the game leak.”

Resilience, he added, is not necessarily about constantly taking the fight to the opposition. Sometimes it means leaving the ball, ducking a short delivery or simply sticking to a plan.

“You have to have that attitude of, it doesn’t matter what happens, I’m going to come back again and come back again and come back again,” he said.

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