The Proteas have suffered from weak batting in Test cricket for some time enduring a steady decline as the likes of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers left the game.
While South Africa have batsmen capable of putting big scores on the board they have not done so consistently and have struggled to top 400 in an innings on a regular basis.
In a sense, the batting issues might be self-perpetuating as the conditions in South Africa are tailored to the traditional strengths of quick bowling, making it difficult for batsmen to bat for long periods of time.
When the Proteas were at their peak, they were able to resist bowling attacks around the world, whether the ball was turning or jagging off the surface.
There is little point in bemoaning the failure to blood the next generation of talents before the old guard gave up the game, given how much pressure is placed on the team each time they step out onto the park.
Young batsmen are only likely to get an extended run in the Test team if they are able to get runs consistently from the get-go.
This is not something specific to the Proteas as all over the world talented batsmen find themselves making no more than a handful of Test appearances before being discarded.
It is here that South Africa could find their path to improvement, having been presented an opportunity to give batting prospects like Keegan Petersen and Kyle Verreynne extended runs in the Test side.
One must take into account that in general, batting in Test cricket has taken a dip, with surfaces usually being prepared with a match result in mind, and batsmen having a tendency towards being more aggressive, owing to the amount of white-ball cricket that is played.
The secret to Test batting is patience and it is patience that the selectors and general public need to exercise to see the team grow and develop in this department.
