Times Media - February 8, 2014
TELFORD VICE, Johannesburg
Ready? Steady? Then let’s go. Except that, at Centurion on Wednesday, no-one will ask either SA or Australia whether they are ready - the test series will be upon them, ready or not.
The Aussies have been in the country for more than a week now, while Graeme Smith’s squad only assembled on Monday. But it is the South Africans who will be the better prepared side.
A four-day tour match that the visitors were scheduled to play against a SA Invitation XI in Potchefstroom this week was cancelled because of rain, and they had to make do with dodging the weather for training sessions - Michael Clarke cried off facing 30 balls in a particularly juiced up Centurion net on Tuesday - and after one middle practice at the Wanderers yesterday.
The same dark clouds threatened to disrupt SA’s practice match against a Composite XI at the Wanderers, but not an over was lost during the three days.
On Tuesday, the first day, Smith’s team crashed to 151/7 before Vernon Philander’s 58 not out took them to 300. It was an inauspicious beginning to a game against a side drawn from the bottom three franchises in the T20 competition, but that was the last time SA looked vulnerable.
The next day, all of the frontline bowlers looked in good nick as SA dismissed their opponents for 135. A day after that, Faf du Plessis completed a fine century and Morne Morkel did not hold back in four aggressive overs in which he took 3/6.
More good news for SA was that AB de Villiers was able to bat and keep wicket in the second innings with no apparent discomfort in his surgically repaired left hand.
Dale Steyn, too, purred through the 15.5 overs he bowled in the match showing no sign of the rib fracture that has kept him out of action for the past five weeks. Steyn never let fly at full tilt, but he was clearly itching to.
A new injury concern sprang up in the second innings when JP Duminy left the field after facing 19 balls with tendonitis in his wrist. However, he is expected to be passed fit for Wednesday.
Not that the Aussies will have forgotten how to play test cricket since completing their 5-0 rout of England in Sydney on January 5. And that after they had endured a beating in England last year.
“The Ashes in England wasn’t our finest moment, and we’ve learnt from that,” Steve Smith said.
He expected life at the crease to be tough: “The two attacks are very good and the batsmen are going to have to cash in when they can. Patience is something I’m going to need over here.”
SA’s attack is the envy of the game while Australia’s has gelled into a bristling unit.
“We’re bowling a lot better as a team and showing a lot more patience,” Peter Siddle said.
“Aggression can work against anyone, and when Mitchell Johnson is bowling at those (more than 150km/h) speeds anyone is going to have a problem.
“But it’s still about bowling the right line and length - that’s what we’ve been doing for the last six months.”
While SA will try hard to navigate around the void that Jacques Kallis’ retirement has left, the Australians will miss him, too. Sort of.
“It makes us happier (that Kallis won’t be there),” Siddle said. “In a way it’s disappointing because you want to play against the best, but it does make it easier.”
All set, then. Ready, steady ...
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