Khaya Zondo says Proteas are hopeful for a better pitch ahead of Boxing Day Test

Khaya Zondo is hopeful the Proteas get a better pitch for the Boxing Day Test against Australia but says as players they cannot worry about it and have to play what is in front of them.

The tourists fell to a six-wicket defeat in the first Test in Brisbane in a match that lasted less than two days to go 1-0 down in the three-match series.

Proteas skipper Dean Elgar slammed the conditions as being unfit for Test cricket while the The International Cricket Council (ICC) deemed the Gabba surface as "below average" with one demerit point counting against the venue.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) curator Matt Page will now be under pressure to produce an even contest between bat and ball.

Zondo was one of the few Proteas batters to have the measure of the home bowlers as he struck 36 not out in the second innings of the first Test in a paltry total of 99.

The 32-year-old is preparing for only his third Test and says he will focus on working on his game rather than the surface that they will encounter on Boxing Day.

Zondo told reporters on Wednesday: "I believe you can't play a game before you are actually in it. Going forward and thinking about what the pitch is going to be like.

"Is it going to be bad, is it going to be good? I don't think that's a good space for us as a team or batsmen to really think about that until you get there and see what it is.

"I don't necessarily think they will prepare a pitch like they did last time because it's been deemed below average, that pitch we just off so I'm sure there's going to be an effort to make it more fair in terms of bat and ball."

Last year's Boxing Day test was over within three days, as Australia thrashed England in a one-sided contest.