After the Proteas lost the 2005 Test series 2-0 against Australia the late, great Shane Warne labelled them the ‘worst team ever to have left South African shores.’ It was hyperbole, naturally, just Warnie being Warnie. Afterall, South Africa lost the third Test in Sydney with Graeme Smith becoming just the second captain in Test in Test history to lose after declaring twice.
A hard-fought draw in Perth was followed by the Boxing Day Test at the MCG where the tourists appeared to gain control on the first day before the most extraordinary 10th wicket partnership of 107 between Michael Hussey (122) and Glenn McGrath (11) carried the hosts to a total of 355. It was the greatest single difference between the teams with Australia winning by 184 runs.
Having made 451-9 in the first innings in Sydney with Jacques Kallis (111) and Ashwell Prince (119) adding 219 for the fourth wicket in Sydney, and earning a lead of 92 with a snarling Andre Nel claiming 4-81, Smith declared at 194-6 after considerable time had been lost to rain. It was a desperate effort to level the series but backfired badly when Makhaya Ntini was unable to bowl at all in the fourth innings and Ricky Ponting scored his second century of the match (143*) to win by eight-wickets.
The series had been far more closely contested than the scoreline suggested which was all the more reason for Warne to have a bit of fun with his jocular jibe. South Africa had been good enough to win – but they didn’t know ‘how’ to win. Smith and coach Mickey Arthur spent much of the next three years platting and discussing ‘how’ to win in Australia. They needed a method. And they found one, famously, three years later.
The current team in Australia are not as good as the 2005 version – certainly not with the bat. A top six of Elgar, Erwee, van der Dussen, Bavuma, de Bruyn and Verreynne – if that is what it will be – does compare favourably to Smith, de Villiers, Gibbs, Kallis, Prince and Rudolph.
Rassie van der Dussen made 95 from 184 balls in the solitary warm-up match in Brisbane while Theunis de Bruyn delivered a rather different sort of innings with 88 from 86 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. The former was determined to grind out ‘traditional’ Test runs while de Bruyn batted with refreshing freedom.
Despite the current England team reinventing the way. Test cricket is played after 140 years of a largely conservative approach, it isn’t for everyone. First, you need to be good enough to score at six runs per over. Second, you need the backing of your captain and coach to sell your wicket cheaply from time to time. And third, you need to be playing 16 or 17 Tests per year so you can afford a couple of low scores in the knowledge that your next chance is just a couple of weeks away.
Nonetheless, it does seem obvious that any visiting team’s chances of success in Australia in recent years have increased exponentially the more they are prepared to be brave and counter-attack. Old-fashioned Test cricket, demanding an attritional approach of patient defence, has almost always led to doom and defeat in Australia, and especially if it is the team’s collective approach.
India’s dramatic and memorable series win there two years ago featured Cheteshwar Pujara playing ‘punchbag’ at one end for over 12 hours during the series, drawing as much fire as possible from Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, while Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar, amongst others, launched daring counter-offensives at critical moments making plain for all to see that the ‘fear of failure’ was not an issue. And neither, just as importantly, was the fear of success as they came closer and closer to becoming the first Indian team to win down under.
Perhaps van der Dussen sees himself in the Pujara role in the forthcoming series which starts at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday. And perhaps de Bruyn believes he has nothing to lose and will back himself to take on the most experienced attack of all time – Starc, Cummins Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon present the only foursome in history to play together with over 200 Test wickets each. If so, we should be in for some compelling viewing.
Dean Elgar must be South Africa’s rock of stability. He will not be dictated to and has more than enough experience and ability to keep the scoreboard moving without extravagant risk. His opening partner, Sarel Erwee, will first have to weather the Australian verbal storm before finding his feet on his first encounter against them. He is South Africa’s most unconfrontational top order batsman since Andrew Hudson. He might make that work in his favour but, in truth, significant runs from him will be a bonus.
And what of Temba Bavuma? The vice-captain has not played a first-class match for over six months and was rested for the Lions two four-day matches before departure for Brisbane. The reason, we were told, was an understandable need to take a break from the game after the trauma of the T20 World Cup debacle. But then he did not bat in the first innings at the Allan Border Field. We were told it was a ‘precaution’ because of the elbow injury which ruled him out of the tour of England.
There is a lot which doesn’t add up. Was Bavuma physically fit to play for the Lions? Was he fit to board the plane for Brisbane? Was his ‘old’ injury less serious than Ryan Rickelton’s two-year old ankle injury which precluded him from selection but which has allowed him to keep wicket and score two centuries in the games which Bavuma was rested for – and another 99 two days ago in the CSA One-Day Cup?
If there are double standards at play, that’s not unusual in any sport, in any country – although South Africa’s selectors are more hamstrung by administration than most others. Very occasionally, they have been quite smart about the deception required for public consumption. On this occasion, however, it would seem only right and fair – not least to Bavuma himself – to be transparent about his fitness and not to compromise his reputation and career by going ‘over and above’ sensible protocols in order to have him in the starting XI in Brisbane on Saturday.
Not sure coach /captain ready for “ brave “ cricket v Oz batting to suss… we need a “ pinching bag tour” like Oz just had to give us taste without the worry re inventing test cricket little easier without 4 95 mph bowlers sticking up your nose without helmet…groundsman again biggest influence …