Exclusive: Tristan Stubbs Breaks Silence on Lean Patch as He Targets Fresh Start in India T20Is

Proteas batter Tristan Stubbs told SportsBoom that he lacked rhythm and flow for a long time, both in the nets at practice and out in the middle in Test cricket, before heading into South Africa's historic tour of India in November. 

The 25-year-old adds that he is looking forward to the T20I series against India. 

The Lean Patch

Tristan Stubbs has always been earmarked to be one of South Africa's top talents for the future, a player that coach Shukri Conrad could build a team around, be it in Tests, One-Day or T20I cricket. 

As a result, on debut, Conrad entrusted the right-handed batter with the number three position in the batting order against the best bowling attack in the world in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja during the New Year's Test in January 2024. 

Stubbs was 23 years old then and would go on to cop a pair in a matter of hours as bowlers made the most of what was deemed a poor wicket at Newlands during the time. 

After that Test match, Conrad went to the media and apologised to the youngster for giving him a Test debut on such a wicket, and continued to back him in Test cricket after that Test. 

In the following 12 months, Stubbs would go on to score two hundreds, one in Bangladesh and another here at home at Kingsmead in Durban. 

After that, the youngster experienced a long lean patch, where he struggled to score runs for South Africa, despite the team going on to win the World Test Championship final at Lord's. 

During the Pakistan tour, the youngster looked out of touch despite scoring 76 in the second Test in Rawalpindi. 

A month later, Stubbs looked in form for the first time in a long time, as he scored 49 and 94 in the second Test in Guwahati and finished as the top run-scorer in the series, helping South Africa win their very first Test series in India in 25 years. 

In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.co.za, Stubbs opened up for the first time about the lean patch he was on and what was really happening behind the scenes. 

"I wasn't really batting well in that period. I just had no rhythm, no flow, and just couldn't really, like, I had two scores, but they were messy scores and like there was no flow. I just couldn't really get in a rhythm," Stubbs told SportsBoom.co.za.  

"It wasn't easy, but it's part of it. You just have to try and make the most of it and get through it, and fortunately, it's turned the other way."

"Leading into the Pakistan series, and especially coming out to India, I wasn't too worried because I was batting well in the nets."

"I hadn't batted well in the nets for ages, so I knew it was around the corner, but before then,  I was just trying to find some rhythm, and that really took a while."

T20I Series in India

After helping South Africa clean-sweep India 2-0 in the two-match series, Stubbs flew back home to South Africa, where he helped his Domestic team, the Warriors, win the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge trophy against Boland in Paarl. 

That time in the middle provided preparation for the 25-year-old as he knew that he still had to fly back to India for the five-match T20I series a week later. 

Stubbs told SportsBoom that he enjoyed helping the Warriors win the T20 competition, and that, having joined South Africa's T20I squad in India, he looks forward to the series. 

"After the test, I flew home and played for the Warriors. I really enjoyed that. Always nice playing for them, and fortunately, we won the final and did some hard graft," Stubbs said.  

"And now we are back, ready for T20s. It's exciting. T20 cricket in India is always really fun, and looking forward to an exciting series ahead."