South Africa in Australia Nov-Dec 2012/13

[badvintage]

Interesting start by the Aussies. They might just lose some wickets soon.

 

[midgetwars]

This is what happens when you dry up Warner's runs...

 

[angryangy]

That was a good ball, it pitch around leg and was fullish. Similar balls were going towards off stump. He had to play a shot, but it moved well away and it was perhaps only because Warner was so in that he could edge it.

 

[aditya123]

Just looking at this series, SA are`nt doing any better than the Indian attack from last year. Rather, I would say that India had the upper hand on the Aussie batting lineup on quite a few occasions in the series. Again goes to show that it was our batting that let us down in Australia. The rate at which Australia have scored today has been phenomenal. I don`t remember any test match day in recent years where the batting side has gone at 5.5 RPO.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Obviously it was the batters that let us down.

 

[aditya123]

The last time Australia scored 400 runs in a day at Adelaide, they lost the test match. SA can take hope from the fact that they have scored so quickly, if they manage to bowl out SA early tomorrow. We could then have a fab test match.

 

[aditya123]

I`m not watching it live right now. Can anyone tell me if its the usually flat Adelaide wicket or toothless bowling which is the reason for this carnage? I`d presume the first case to be true. Had this been on a subcontinent wicket, they`d all be cribbing about how flat wickets are killing cricket and that it has been done to make Steyn and co. look toothless.

 

[Left_Hander]

Stumps on day 1 and Australia is in complete control! I do feel sorry for South Africa with their injuries but Australia has done well to recover. Wish Hussey hadn't gotten out at the end of play but considering what has happened in the day I think I can live with that. Stunning day of cricket for Australia!

 

[mrtwisties]

It's actually been a pretty good wicket. There's been good bounce and pace on offer throughout, Kallis and Kleinveldt have had great movement both in the air and off the pitch and Tahir has had decent turn as well (given it's the first day). Both new balls have produced scintillating spells from Steyn and Morkel, and any Australian fan who wasn't bricking themselves at 3/55 is a fool.

So, what happened?

1. Streaky luck. South Africa are certainly unlucky that they didn't have Warner earlier, his innings was quite streaky at times and sadly hasn't answered the questions around him. Clarke wasn't as bad, but on another day he'd have been out much earlier, too.

2. Injured spearheads and atrocious backup bowlers. They're also unlucky to have lost Philander, Kallis and Steyn to various niggles and injuries - because their backups were atrocious. I've never seen so many full tosses dispatched for six. Graeme Smith has been captaining like he wants Clarke to make runs, keeping Tahir on for so long.

3. Steyn. I'd also just say that Steyn hasn't been the bowler he was in '08. Regularly 5-10 kmh slower than Morkel (instead of 5-10 kmh faster, which is what we saw last time). If Steyn was his normal self and Kallis stayed on the ground, we'd be talking about Australia all out for 200, IMO.

That said, stupendous effort from the boys. I don't want to put the mockers on Clarke, but with the way he's batting, the greentop gone brown now and the injuries in the SA bowling cohort - there's a very real chance he goes on to make a very, very big hundred tomorrow. This should be a real test of the resilience and class of the SA attack.

 

[Aditya]

The way Clarke batted today was simply marvelous. He came into bat when the score was 59-3 and even then being positive and playing his normal game shows how good his current form is!

 

[Gaurav_7]

4 double hundreds in a year? Some fail to acieve that throughout their career. Fantastic from Clarke! Take a bow, sir.

 

[aditya123]

The way Clarke batted today was simply marvelous. He came into bat when the score was 59-3 and even then being positive and playing his normal game shows how good his current form is!

Has`nt that been the case in pretty much all of his double hundreds this year. Its like Australia start their innings at 30/3! Even in that 4-0 win over India, it was pretty much just Clarke and Hussey along with Ponting in a couple of innings who scored for Australia. The rest of the lineup was`nt too flash.

 

[Left_Hander]

Has`nt that been the case in pretty much all of his double hundreds this year. Its like Australia start their innings at 30/3! Even in that 4-0 win over India, it was pretty much just Clarke and Hussey along with Ponting in a couple of innings who scored for Australia. The rest of the lineup was`nt too flash.

Yep, you're right. Maybe Clarke should open so we could start better?

 

[midgetwars]

I`m not watching it live right now. Can anyone tell me if its the usually flat Adelaide wicket or toothless bowling which is the reason for this carnage? I`d presume the first case to be true. Had this been on a subcontinent wicket, they`d all be cribbing about how flat wickets are killing cricket and that it has been done to make Steyn and co. look toothless.

Lots of dodgy bowling. Tahir bowled a lot of full tosses.


Interesting Stat, Every time Australia has been 3/10-90 Clarke has scored a big hundered. But with a decent number 3 like Watson, Clarke doesn't.

KEEP COWAN, WARNER and a bad number 3. Watson can replace Ponting later on.

 

[Aalay]

Australia had a very decent run rate till lunch but after lunch, they got 100 runs in 10.2 overs and I felt that SA just gave up there. Morkel got the wicket of Warner but I still didn't feel that he was bowling too well. I was actually very excited to see Imran Tahir but he was absolutely rubbish. I know that it's too early to judge him because this is his first test in Australia but I saw couple of spells by him in which Warner was just hitting him everywhere. I also read on Cricinfo before the start of the series that Hussey does not have a good record against SA but he has stepped up here as well. MICHAEL CLARKE.