OUT of Australia’s first Test defeat to South Africa, there has been plenty to argue about, but the one thing that can’t be argued against was the fact it was a great Test match.
It had everything you want in the longest form of the game, with gutsy batting displays, some excellent bowling from Mitchell Johnson on a benign pitch and a record-breaking result in the fourth innings.
It was a great advertisement for Test cricket, and shows that the oldest form of the
game still has a place in the cricketing
calendar.
But Ricky Ponting is quickly gaining the
persona of Captain Grumpy in the general public. Next time his side loses hopefully he can say they were genuinely outplayed and move on.
Again the calls have been coming thick and fast for Ponting’s head, along with Matt Hayden and Brett Lee, but I think the normally ruthless selectors will stick with what they do know.
Hayden got a shocker of a decision in the
second innings and will have the rest of the series to make good, otherwise he can tear up his ticket to South Africa and the Ashes.
Lee will need to start adapting his bowling for the yard of pace he has lost, and when
conditions off the deck and through the air are not conducive to the fast men.
His job will be safe at least for this series, to many peoples disappointment, because the selectors won’t want to try an untested pace leader during a series at home.
But there were some bright spots out of the Perth debacle, with Brad Haddin showing his century against the Kiwis wasn’t a fluke.
His crisp stroke play, when combined with some dire situations, was a delight to watch and he deserved another ton in Australia’s second innings.
And of course there was Magic Johnson and his 11 wickets.
When he ripped through the middle order of the Proteas’ first innings, it created a kind of atmosphere that I have not experienced since Shane Warne had the ball late on any given Test.
Every delivery felt like a wicket was going
to come from somewhere, and that has been something the Australia team has been
lacking.
But where to now?
I honestly don’t think the selectors will make too many changes.
Jason Krejza is unlucky to miss out, because I like the loop his gives his stock ball, but he will need to work on his consistency and not give away too many long hops.
I have always liked Ben Hilfenhaus so it will be interesting to see if he gets a run if conditions suit, but at least the selectors are looking to pick players in-form and that have something different to offer.
But the batsmen simply need to keep their head down when they make a start and pay the correct amount of respect to spinner Jason Harris and the rest of the South African attack.
However, if the unthinkable does happen and we do lose in Melbourne and the series, it’s not the end of the world, it merely gives the Aussies plenty of ammunition when they travel to the Rainbow Nation to gain back their number one ranking.
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