Should SA change anything for final Test‚ besides not moan about the pitch?

You beat the world’s No. 1 test team in what amounts to their own backyard to clinch the series with a game in hand‚ and what do you?

Whinge about the pitch.

South Africa seem to have forgotten that they won the second test against India by 135 runs in Centurion on Tuesday.

That’s hardly surprising given their preoccupation with slamming a surface that veered towards the visitors’ strengths and away from their own.

How is that not a reason to be even more satisfied with their performance than they were after winning the Newlands test by 72 runs?

The way the South Africans are going on you’d think they were 0-2 down and not‚ as they are‚ 2-0 up.

Worse‚ they can’t afford to be dangerously distracted by the state of the pitch for the third test at the Wanderers‚ which starts on Wednesday.

Not if they want to reclaim the No. 1 ranking.

A 3-0 drubbing by South Africa‚ who are currently in second place‚ would put them level with India on 118 points each.

India’s next test series is in England in August‚ by which time the South Africans would have hosted Australia.

Should South Africa beat the Aussies 2-0 or 3-1 they will be back on top of the pile‚ a perch they last occupied in January 2016.

But first they need to win at the Wanderers‚ where the howls of outrage coming down the highway from Centurion have been heard.

“I’ve taken a lot of notice‚” Gauteng Cricket Board chief executive Greg Fredericks said on Friday.

“Even if I didn’t want to take notice I’ve got lots of WhatsApps and SMSs and messages about it.”

So‚ what are groundsman Bethuel Buthelezi and consultant Chris Scott going to come up with?

“If Bethuel and Chris can’t get it right then I wouldn’t know who could‚” Fredericks said. “They’ve assured me there’s going to be pace and bounce and maybe some lateral movement.

“I had a discussion with Chris and Bethuel this morning‚ and they said they don’t want to prepare a snakepit.

“But it’s going to be a typical Wanderers wicket.”

That means hard work for batsmen‚ who average 30.05 runs per partnership at the stadium. Of South Africa’s other regular test venues only St George’s Park’s 26.89 is lower.

But the Wanderers features higher on that list than the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Headingley‚ so application will be rewarded.

Who might need to apply themselves for South Africa considering squad members Temba Bavuma and Theunis de Bruyn have missed both matches‚ and that Aiden Markram strained a thigh in Centurion and is due for a fitness test on Tuesday?

“You don’t always get in a position where you win series and can give someone a crack‚” Faf du Plessis said after the second test.

“But then as soon as I ask myself that question I think‚ ‘When do you get in a position to beat teams 3-0?’.

“It doesn’t happen a lot‚ so I’d favour being ruthless.

“We haven’t had the opportunity to beat India 3-0 for a while.

“For me it’s about keeping your foot on the gas.”

South Africa have never beaten India 3-0. The closest they came was in 1996-97‚ when they won two and drew the other — at the Wanderers‚ where India made 410 in the first innings and rain got in the way.

The Wanderers was also where‚ in December 2006‚ India earned the first of only two victories in the 19 tests they have played in South Africa.

And it’s where‚ against India in December 2013‚ South Africa infuriated their supporters by‚ to borrow Du Plessis’ phrase‚ taking their foot off the gas when their seventh wicket fell at 442. The damn fools were in search of a target of 458.

That match was drawn‚ a result that seems unlikely next week even if Fredericks’ prayer to the weather gods is heard.

“I won’t mind if there’s a bit of rain‚” he said in the hope of having play on the weekend.

“I saw a forecast for late afternoon storms on Wednesday‚ Thursday‚ Friday …”

Not quite. If you’re a batsman‚ particularly an Indian batsman‚ the lightning bolts will come red‚ thick and‚ especially‚ fast from the moment you take guard.