Thankfully for the South African, his aggressive batting has presented regular opportunities in the shorter formats that will assist him in handling the occasion, despite how much less Test experience he has versus some of his Australian counterparts.
The Johannesburg native has been attempting to fast-track his ability to be comfortable in intense cricketing scenarios.
“I’ve taken a lot of confidence out of my T20 game actually and the experience and the exposure you get around the world of just playing T20 cricket,” he continued.
“Playing in India with full houses, where they live and die for the sport, really gives you that confidence that if you can walk out there and be in control of your mind and your body, you can take a lot of pride and, again, a lot of confidence going into other arenas.
“Coming (straight) from the IPL, having played against the best players in the world, both Indian and international, you just get a firsthand feel for it. High pressure moments frequently, a few times every week, lots of eyes on you all the time, lots of expectations from owners, teammates, fans, just people, people around you.
“I probably take a lot of confidence out of it that you can deal with the game at that pace, at that level. That skill set, it’s chalk and cheese (from Test batting).
“Trying to marry the two of them for me opening the batting, but if you can take that mental confidence out of it, saying that ‘I can handle it here, what are the things that I need to rein in about myself to give myself the best chance of competing on a Test match level?’
“It’s probably the most difficult challenge, but once you’ve worked through those technical attributes and the intricacies of cricket, you can find the way you move and the way you think about the game can be a lot more confident.
“(I’m) looking forward to obviously trying to take that confidence onto the field.”
