Five things the Proteas will need to address during the second Test vs NZ

The Proteas will be out to save face and avoid a first Test series defeat against New Zealand since 1932 — home or away — as they ramp up preparations for the second and final combat against the World Test Championship title holders at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday.

SA suffered an embarrassing defeat in the first Test at the same venue after they were shot out by an innings and 276 runs in two and half days and seven sessions last week.

The debilitating defeat means SA will be playing for a draw.

TimesLIVE looks at what they need to do following their mauling.

Selection — consider dropping Aiden Markram

Even before they jetted out to New Zealand, voices calling for Markram to be dropped were growing.

The 27-year-old right-handed opener averaged a meagre 9.7 in his last 10 innings and a little over 25 in his last 20 Test matches.

His early dismissal struggles are too many for an opener and thus put pressure on the rest of the top six.

Ryan Rickleton deserves his time in the sun and should have been preferred ahead of Markram for the first Test.

Fix batting deficiencies

A batting collapse has become common for SA.

Most of the SA wickets were caught behind in the cordon between gully and wicketkeeper. That's a sign of a team struggling to figure out the bounce.

They did not leave well, their defences were poor and playing more away from their bodies when scoring square of the wicket looked to be the safest option.

However, a decison not to have a single warm-up match contributed to that embarrassing defeat in the first Test.

Sort out shoddy fielding

New Zealand posted 482 but it could perhaps have been half of that if SA did not drop seven catches.

There is a saying that catches win you matches and this is something SA will need to be reminded of ahead of the second Test.

Loose bowling

Kagiso Rabada led an inexperienced pack of bowlers but the SA bowling as a unit overall was found wanting.

They were too short and full and didn’t have answers when the New Zealand batters stepped on the gas.

To their defence, having two greenhorns in Marco Jansen and debutant Glenton Stuurman was always going to leave the unit exposed when put under the pump.

If Lungi Ngidi has shaken off his back strain, he should come in for one of debutant Stuurman and three-match greenhorn Jansen to compliment Rabada and Duanne Olivier.

Patience

New Zealand did this well. They only had to bat once as they scored almost 500 in their first innings while SA could only manage 95 and 111.

The hosts have showed you can score big if you see off the new ball by applying yourself well and playing each shot on its merits.

New Zealand were 19/1 after 16 overs and 32/2 three overs later but their patience and good decision-making led to a total of 482.

SA will have to make sure they go through the first session relatively unscathed if they loose the toss and are asked to bat first, and strike early with the ball if they win the toss and decide to bowl first.