Mickey Arthur Quotations

We are always a bat-first team, but the local guys said we could break through on the first morning and that days two and three would be best for batting. Well, we didn't make the breakthrough and batting certainly looked easy today.

We are going to include some of the players who have done well in the local series.

We've sort of knocked them but we could never get them down and then Australia have come back harder at us. Just when we think we're going to land the killer blow, they tend to come back. When you play under that sort of pressure, something had to give.

We set ourselves a target to be 150 ahead. Obviously it was slightly disappointing. We might have let ourselves down in one or two instances.

We set ourselves a target this morning, we wanted to be 150 ahead. At one stage that looked very attainable. It's always dangerous when you have a batter with the tail enders. The situation was tailor-made for Gilchrist.

We're happy with it. We understand it wasn't racist, we don't have a problem with it.

None of the team minds any form of abuse because it happens in any country...but we feel once it becomes a racist taunt then the boundaries are being overstepped.

I guess it made our selection poser a little bit easier for us, but unfortunately he (Kemp) is not available for selection. Kallis will slot in at four, the world's best player, he'll bat in a position that he's quite familiar with.

I guess it made our selection poser a little bit easier.

He tweaked a hamstring (in the first Test) in Cape Town, and he was just feeling the effects.

We're prepared either way. I'm thinking they won't go with two spinners but who knows, we can't spend time worrying about their team.

Jacques is training again, bowling and fielding. It's just batting that's still a problem and he's not hitting any balls yet. Hopefully he can start doing that by the end of the week.

Kallis tends to the 'wall', he's the rock around which we normally build our innings. But Herschelle has played beautifully so far. He's been playing well all week and the good thing about Herschelle is he scores (quickly). He also tends to take out time and the game away from the opposition. We are really looking for a big partnership from them.

I thought Australia took the initiative early today and held the sway for the day. I guess, the pressure gave way today.

I suppose it does release the shackles. I think there might be one or two happier batters out there when I tell them the news.

Our run of injuries has been horrendous and it just doesn't seem to be getting any better.

I think his success comes down in large part to the fact that he had two months off when he left the tour of Australia because of that injury.

Maybe that's a lesson we can take out of it. It was a harsh lesson but we are still very positive. Our goal before we came on tour was to make big first innings scores and we let our chance slip in Perth. I am hoping we can achieve that goal tomorrow.

We had game plans in Australia and the guys played him very well.

We have borne the brunt again of a dropped catch. The bowlers toiled hard and I can't fault them for that. They tried to take wickets all the time.

We have tended to dominate the last session of the first day of both previous Test matches and it's important that we follow this up now with a good first session tomorrow.

We need to win the series (against New Zealand). I won't be happy if we don't.

To be blatantly honest I think they (Aussies) do put pressure on the umpires and they're masters at it.

We didn't achieve those goals in Perth, so I'm hoping we do on day three.

When you select a spinner on a (pitch) that helps spin, you expect a little bit more than that.

We sent AB back home to learn some more about ODI cricket. He had a bit of an identity crisis in this form of the game. I'm happy to see how well he did and we will definitely consider him.

We will go to Sydney a far stronger outfit. Our bounce-back ability is brilliant. We will come back with a few new strategies.

We thought Perth was where we could get stuck in but we missed our opportunities there. If we had scored 'big' after bowling them out for 258, we could have put Australia under pressure but we also dropped catches. They weren't easy chances but you have to hang on to them if you want to beat a quality side like Australia.

You ask me for a name to pull out the hat to replace Gibbs if he gets seriously injured tomorrow. Not one name jumps out at you, because there hasn't been a guy that has actually stood up and put his hand up.

You can miss one player, but it's tough when you're missing four.

We've had a long chat about it. We've been on a huge emotional roller coaster in the last week.

We'll have to keep managing that throughout the test match ... he'll be fine.

We want to get some momentum going in this last game against Australia.

We don't really want to mention his name any more.

We've prepared either way. I'm thinking that they wouldn't go in with two spinners on that, but who knows? That's up to them. We are going to put our house in order and try to put the best side out that we possibly can.

We feel we need another 200 and if we can get that ... we are set up for a huge last day.

To be honest, again we felt we were on the back end of a few decisions that didn't go our way, and I am disappointed.

We are obviously pretty down. It's been a titanic struggle. We sort of knock them but we can never get them down. Then Australia come back harder at us. That is the sign of a champion side. Just when we think we will land the killer blow, they come back harder at us all the time.

They have hit more than enough balls, they've caught more than enough catches. It's now about getting away and tuning in mentally and getting right for the test match that's coming.

It's evenly poised at the moment. We had two good sessions after lunch and after tea but the first session tomorrow is going to be crucial.

It was a strange injury. When he came off in the first innings he noticed a slight swelling under his knee. There was no pain but we thought we'd have it scanned and it came back with something to do with the ligament pulling away from the hamstring.

It's a good sign for us because we've now got the runs on the board.

It's a nice position to be in, to have a choice like that.

It's unacceptable and we would like to think that it won't happen again for the rest of this game.

It looks a little bit browner although there is still moisture beneath the surface. I do like going into a Test match with a spinner, to be honest, because it gives you greater options. But conditions must allow for that.

It's going to be a tough old day. Hopefully we will have absorbed the pressure and have been in a position to apply it.

I've got no problem with that. It's within the spirit of the game. He thought it was an obvious deflection. There was a lot of appealing and histrionics going on and he hit it and walked. That's fine. I've never instructed a player to stand or walk, that's a personal preference. He hit it. Good catch. And off he went.

I guess the final poser will come down to do we play a four-man seam attack or do we play a spinner? It looks a little bit browner than it did yesterday. I think it has dried out quite nicely.

Before the injuries, we were a tight unit with the roles clearly defined. But once we lost players, all the roles had to change.

He's the rock around which we normally build our innings.

If I had a guy like him I would also expect him to put pressure on. I think the umpires have got it quite right today.

He played superbly. We were a bit worried about him after seeing how well he batted with the tail in Perth but he was superb. Maybe we didn't get enough balls to McGrath.

The guys had to be brave and it's shown them what can actually be achieved. We'll probably never recapture that moment but the fear of failure went out the window on Sunday for our batters.

The catches were all pretty tough chances, but you've got to hang on to those if you want to beat a quality side like Australia.