South Africa’s resurgence across formats over the past couple of years has been built on sticking to the basics and widening the competition for places, according to fast bowler Anrich Nortje.

The Proteas have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround, highlighted by their World Test Championship triumph and a maiden appearance in the T20 World Cup final last year. Those achievements have helped re-establish South Africa as one of the world’s leading cricket forces.

That momentum has carried into their ongoing tour of India, where South Africa clinched a historic 2-0 Test series victory, their first Test series win in the country in 25 years.

“The team’s been doing unbelievably well,” Nortje said on the eve of the fourth T20I on Tuesday. “The way they’ve gelled together, there are fresh faces, experienced players and guys who have been on the fringes for a while getting consistent opportunities.”

Although Nortje has not been part of the Test setup recently, he said the clarity of approach across all formats stood out.

“I haven’t been with the Test side for some time, but coming back in, you can see how basic they keep it. They try to be as simple as possible and let the moment play out,” he said.

Nortje also credited South Africa’s white-ball success to clearly defined roles and strong internal competition.

“From the outside, it looks like the guys are getting along really well, everyone knows their role, and that’s very important,” he said. “There’s a lot of competition, which creates opportunity but also healthy pressure. A lot of players are fighting for spots, and that’s exactly what you want.”

The express pacer returned to the South African side for the ongoing T20I series after a lengthy injury layoff caused by a recurring stress fracture. While he is yet to take a wicket in his two appearances so far, Nortje said he was pleased to be back in Proteas colours.

“It’s really nice to be back. I missed it a lot,” he said. “I’m happy with the progress. There’s still a lot of cricket coming up, including the SA20, so it’s about building rhythm.”

Nortje added that his focus remains on gradual improvement rather than immediate results as he continues his comeback.

“I’m just trying to improve every game and be realistic with expectations. I’m happy with where I’m at and looking to build on it over the next month or two,” he said.

(By PTI Inputs)

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