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Brydon Coverdale
October 12, 2011
Just as a gastronome would moan if Heston Blumenthal served up only one course at The Fat Duck, so too will cricket fans lament the decision to make Australia's tour of South Africa so brief. Three years ago, these teams delivered the ultimate degustation experience. Over three months and across two continents, they dished up helping after helping of the highest quality cricket, and the final 3-3 score line left viewers simultaneously satisfied and hungry for more.
There was the near-record chase of 414 in Perth, completed by AB de Villiers and the debutant JP Duminy. There was Graeme Smith's courageous return to the crease at the SCG, where he tried in vain to save the Test, batting with a broken left hand and painful right elbow. There was Phillip Hughes' twin centuries in Durban, in his second Test. Every moment was worth watching.
Instead, tour consists of two tests, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20s not satiate the fans, but at least gives a taste of the teams can offer. You need a little 'close the calendar - Australia needs to get home to their country of origin to the end of the test in November - and their upcoming tour of South Africa is one of four tests to be replaced.
There are still many intriguing items on the menu. Both teams have new captains since their last meeting in Australia in three formats, South Africa in ODIs and T20. Both sides have new coaches, South Africa, a former champion player, Gary Kirsten, and Australia, a stand-in mentor, Troy Cooley. Australia has slipped to fourth in the standings of the ICC test, far from the battle for the testing of mace, which took place last time, while South Africa remains at No. 2.
Despite the classification, the teams are about to be matched. Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe offer a challenge to the order fiercely in Australia, but the conditions must be suitable for the attack on Australia. They note with concern that South Africa did not win a test series at home since beating Bangladesh three years ago.
Perhaps the most interesting sub-plot is surrounded by Mitchell Johnson, who was one of the main antagonists of Drama 2008-09. These six tests took 33 wickets, second only to Dale Steyn. Johnson broke Smith's hand with a bad delivery in Sydney was unplayable during a terrible time in the late afternoon at the WACA, cleverly turned the ball Wanderers and the blood has, Jacques Kallis chin 'in Durban. A precautionary measure, he also had a couple of half a century, and his inaugural Test hundred.
Johnson has not reached the heights since. He fell back into their old habits, fishing the ball in his right hand and with the hope of making a mistake. Australia expects a return to conditions of South Africa, in turn, their way around. They need to be shot in an attack likely to trend animated feature, but an injury to Ryan Harris, and regular, but far from alarming, Trent Copeland.
At least Johnson is - for now - is still part of the test team. The same can not be said of Marcus North, who impressed with a debut century in Johannesburg, but later proved to be too inconsistent, Simon Katich, who was usurped by Ben Hilfenhaus Hughes and a second man again in this series 2009, which now can not find a place in the side. Not to mention that Australia has been through five rotors for testing.
List of South Africa staff has been less change, Makhaya Ntini are the main outputs to retire and Duminy as a form of the poor. It 'hard to believe that Duminy never meet the heights of his first two tests, based in Perth and Melbourne, she looks so elegant at the time. Veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher will remain on the side so far, but may be under pressure as the summer wears.
Not that it's perfectly clear who is part of the test kit in South Africa at this time, as long as it has been since the last game. They have not been tested by the first week of January, when you draw in Cape Town, the Indian series. And even if it is desirable to break the competition test is nine months less than ideal. They have only two matches in which suit is the longer form of the last time South Africa had for so long a break was in 2009 when tests against Australia, and their next series, against England at home, took them until the fourth game of the series to register to win.
Australia are in exactly the opposite after winning a series in Sri Lanka last month. Some members of the team as Michael Hussey and Shane Watson has not had a chance to sit between tests in Sri Lanka, Twenty20 Champions League in India and limited-overs games in South Africa.
The last time an Australian team has made back to back rounds of testing, no significant break or a summer home in the meantime was in 1969-70 when Bill Lawry side won in India and was later demolished by South Africa. Shortened the length of travel these days should prevent burnout same this time.
He will be supported by the calendar that helps players with two Twenty20 and three ODIs. South Africa started without the injured de Villiers, who is not only No. 2 world ranking in the ODI batsman, but also the newly appointed captain in the short formats. Whether he is fit for the tests is still uncertain.
Meanwhile, Hashim Amla was given the leadership of the day and Twenty20 teams. They have not played a T20 or an ODI in January since the launch of the World Cup in March. Its oxide are paid on time.
Australia begins with Cameron White, who is responsible for the T20, before Michael Clarke will take over for dayers and Tests. Since taking over from Ricky Ponting, after the World Cup, Clarke has proved a thoughtful and innovative captain. His men will be more than a match for South Africa.
The only shame is the length of the offer, the second month of sampling would be welcome. Yet snail porridge Heston taste is better than nothing.
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