JP Duminy has admitted he wants to improve his average as he enters the autumn of his career, with an eye on keeping the No. 4 spot in the batting line-up. In 13 innings since being promoted to the position in August, as a result of AB de Villiers' injury-enforced absence, Duminy has scored 559 runs at an average of 43, with two hundreds, and is looking forward to a more consistent run.
"My approach from the beginning of the season is to look at what will be my average at the end of my career. There's been a lot of inconsistency in the first 30 Tests but in saying that, I batted in various positions. Here is an opportunity to try and solidify a place at No. 4," Duminy said. "I am not trying to focus on the past. I am trying to ask myself, what will I end up from six months ago until the end."
That Duminy prefers batting up the order is known from his domestic days, but he could not find a place in South Africa's top four when he broke through. He had to settle for the lower middle order, where he often found himself ushering the tail and unable to capitalise. As a result, he was regarded as an unfulfilled talent.
"It came down to opportunity. South Africa had a pretty settled top order and for me it was always about opportunities to bat at No. 4," he said. "There is added responsibility but there is more time to bat and that means you have opportunities to score big runs."
Before this season, Duminy only had that chance once - when he was recalled in Wellington in 2012, when Jacques Kallis was injured. He scored a century then but could not keep the place. Now, he has been given the chance because de Villiers is not available and there is no certainty about whether Duminy will move down when de Villiers returns.
With that in mind, Duminy knew that this summer would be his best opportunity to cement his place so that even when de Villiers is fit, Duminy has made a strong enough case for himself. "The pressure is mainly from myself based on the fact that I have high expectations of myself," he said. "It's been one of those series where I have felt really good and haven't backed it up with consistent scores. This is the third Test and I was pretty hungry and determined to put in a big performance."
Duminy's more driven approach has led to a more aggressive batting style, which was evident in the fluency of his knock on the first day. While Hashim Amla battled to get going, Duminy found the boundary with ease. "My attitude has been to try and be as positive as possible in my body language and my approach and mindset to the game, to try and score as best as I can and not to only try and survive, especially on a wicket like this, where a lot of ball will beat the bat. My mindset is to try and capitalise when there are runs on offer."