For Paddy Upton, the Proteas’ performance director from 2011 to 2014, SA’s 2-2 T20 series draw against India was not necessarily reflective of inconsistency in the game’s shortest format on SA’s part.

Having taken a 2-0 lead against the top-ranked T20 side in the world, the Proteas were convincingly beaten in the next two fixtures in the format of the game that is almost a lottery in terms of results. India looked on course to claim a come-from-behind series victory until rain put paid to a result in the fifth and final T20 staged in Bengaluru.

SA’s short tour to India, part of their preparations for the T20I World Cup in Australia in October, produced a mixed bag of results. Upton, a former head coach of Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and mental conditioning coach for head coach Gary Kirsten with the Indian national team, believes the series needs to be put into perspective...