Graham Thorpe calls on England to ‘do something really special again’

“There’s no point in us getting out of bed if we don’t believe that we can do something special. Fourth innings run-chases happen.”

These were the words of England batting coach Graham Thorpe two nights out from Ben Stokes’ miracle innings at Headingley just a few months ago. His side had been bowled out for 67, Australia ahead by 280 and with the Ashes within their clutches.

This time, however, as yet again England find themselves on the cusp of a remarkable chase – currently 121/1 into a target of 376 to beat South Africa at Johannesburg in the first Test – Thorpe was slightly less optimistic.

“As long as everyone’s fit and well tomorrow,” he replied in the post match press conference when those words from earlier this year were put to him. “And we can all get out of bed hopefully!”

The major stumbling block for England, along with the 255 they still need to get, is the illness that meant Jos Buttler could not take the field and Joe Root had to head off after an hour in the field. Both fell victim to he flu and stomach bug that has been doing the rounds among the squad, which affected Ben Stokes at the start of the match and has seen Chris Woakes, Jack Leach and Mark Wood quarantined back at team hotel.

Root, who was able to make up his minute off the field after lunch to ensure he could bat in the top seven was actually unable to take his position at four had it been required. Stokes would have been the man to come in had Rory Burns, on 77, or Joe Denly, 10, been dismissed before stumps.

The hope is that all England’s batsmen can pick themselves up after a night’s sleep but, as has been the case over the last three days, each morning has brought news of a further casualty. Even if there is a clean bill of healthy, Thorpe cedes they are up against it.

“They will both benefit from a night’s sleep again and that’s what is even more important about the way we played today. If we were three or four it probably would have been a struggle for them. It’s been tricky but you have to cope with it. It’s been an interesting build-up for us and the Test match itself has been ups and downs. All we’ve really tried to do is stay level in the dressing room.

“I would say it’s a long shot, we’ll have to play very well, but we’ve given ourselves a fighting chance. There’s a lot of runs to get but there is belief in our dressing room and maybe that’s because of what the players achieved in the summer. We’ll keep fighting all the way in this team and if we have a good first session, take the Test match deep, who knows?

“South Africa will think if they get a couple of early wickets the game is theirs. We will come with the right attitude again and hopefully do something really special again.”

As far as the hosts are concerned, they are not worried just yet. Anrich Nortje, who frustrated the visitors as the nightwatchman by scoring 40 in a 91-run partnership with Rassie van der Dussen, is confident his fellow quicks, and spinner Keshav Maharaj who picked up the only wicket – Dom Sibley caught and bowled for a Test high score of 29 – are not panicking just yet, even if it seemed the pitch has started to flatten out.

“Hopefully tomorrow conditions can be in our favour hopefully a few up and down and we can take a few wickets tomorrow. Like we did in the first innings [where South Africa bowled England out for 181]s, once we build the pressure. It’s just about sticking to what we do best, trying to get the run rate down and building pressure.

South Africa themselves have their own experience of fourth innings snatch-and-grabs this year. Only, in January, they were on the receiving end as Kusal Perera’s 153 not out inspired Sri Lanka to a successful chase of 304.

And while there will be some fans feeling a sense of de-ja-vu, Nortje nipped that sentiment in the bud “No. Nothing like that,” came his instant reply when the matter was broached.