Proteas in Australia
Proteas keep flirting with peril
2012-11-30 14:01
Vernon Philander of SA celebrates with team-mates after taking the wicket of Shane Watson. (Gallo)
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Comment: Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – If South Africa somehow yet win this intriguing
Test series in Australia, they will have done it more through sheer
bloody-minded unwillingness to cave in than by the more orthodox, special
qualities we expected from them.
They keep making life immensely difficult for themselves ...
and day one of the decisive third Test in Perth on Friday only repeated a
pattern that has been evident – yes, worrisomely so -- for the most part since
the combat began at Brisbane.
A disastrous, shortish spell at the crease by Graeme Smith’s
side just before lunch and then immediately after it, has probably already gone
quite a long way to ensuring that the WACA ground continues its modern
tradition of not favouring drawn outcomes.
Keep in mind that that is one result the Proteas would
quietly bank gratefully in this Test, given its great weight in ensuring that
their No 1 status would remain safe for the time being by virtue of a shared
series.
But with their topsy-turvy old first innings only lasting 74
overs after winning the toss, and with excellent weather on the radar right
through to Tuesday as things stand, it is already much more feasible to assume
that this game will produce an overdue positive outcome either way.
There was certainly some inspired bowling at times by the
Aussies’ completely restructured pace attack, whilst off-spinner Nathan Lyon is
also well in this game unexpectedly early.
But 225 all out? The grittiness of the South African lower
order, in at least partially salvaging a lamentable situation of 75 for six,
only demonstrated how those above them were overwhelmingly architects of their
own downfall.
Let’s not kid ourselves: there is something in it for the
bowlers on the excitingly pacy surface, and may well be for the duration of
this match, but in what might prove a telling blow further down the line, four
of the Proteas’ normally steely top five rather self-destructed in this
critical foundation-building phase of a Test.
Poor footwork accounted for a well-set Alviro Petersen (the
Lions man getting himself dismissed once promisingly “in” is becoming a niggly
little issue in itself) and ditto Jacques Kallis and then AB de Villiers, for
whom big scores and wicketkeeping are becoming increasingly incompatible
bedfellows, in cold statistical terms.
Just as unforgivable (and it seemed that old quick-single
chaser De Villiers was mostly at fault) was Hashim Amla being surrendered to a
direct-hit run-out.
Given the situation at the time, it just added more boulders
to a rocky road.
Considering that 125 was once looking in serious danger of
being the grand sum of the tourists’ efforts, the determined repair job headed
by Faf du Plessis – marvellously in-form and as cool and clinical as on stellar
debut in Adelaide – has at least given them the feeling that they still have a
beating heart in this game.
It was a shame that both Robin Peterson and Vernon Philander
also allowed themselves to be undone a tad needlessly after getting past the
30-mark each, but their resolve not to become bogged down had been commendable
and their dying by the sword was more excusable.
Philander, for instance, was pretty unlucky to pick out Mike
Hussey under an enormously high, swirling ball at long-on as he attempted to
drive Lyon for a repeat of an earlier, consummately successful stroke for six.
The Aussie veteran seldom disappoints in this capacity and
made a difficult catch look relatively easy.
A minor blessing for Philander, nevertheless, was that his
exit only hastened his re-emergence to the battleground with a new ball in his
hand, and he and Dale Steyn were responsible for some morale-boosting inroads
into the Baggy Greens’ batting.
There was enough playing and missing by various Australians,
including night watchman Lyon, to suggest that wickets may yet fall in
productive volleys from a South African point of view and relative first-knock
parity is possible. Psst, even a lead?
Still, with the likes of swansong man Ricky Ponting, Michael
Clarke and Hussey yet to take guard, it is “advantage Australia” on paper at
this juncture, as has been the case for generous dollops of the series.
Is it just me or might the South Africans come to rue the
decision to beef the side with a rookie batsman, Dean Elgar, at the expense of
an extra seam component like Ryan McLaren, who is no slouch with the blade?
For the record, I was thinking that even before Elgar
recorded his unfortunate first-dig duck, which can and sometimes does happen to
any debutant.
The Proteas attack just looks one fast man light for the
conditions, and perhaps too generously stocked in spin options, when you
consider that specialist Peterson may be assisted by part-timers Du Plessis and
Elgar if the situation demands it ... and if it does, in significant doses, I
would also suggest that South Africa may be struggling to dislodge Australians.
A cheeky thought by a Cricinfo “couch contributor” was that
perhaps the tourists secretly anticipate coaxing a few overs out of the
recuperating Kallis much deeper into the match.
That scenario did flicker just for a second in my own mind
...
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