Test matches between Australia and South Africa are perpetually riveting, as a look at encounters between the two countries in the recent past indicates. The two nations may have been involved in some of the closest high-scoring One-Day International matches but their recent Test duels have been just as exciting and have sustained for over a decade now.
On Thursday, Australia will lock horns with South Africa at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground in Perth in the first Test of a three-match series. While Australia will be enjoying home advantage, South Africa will not be too unhappy – going by recent trends, it is Hashim Amla’s team who look likely to emerge triumphant.
Home advantage? What’s that?
South Africa have not lost a series in Australia since 2006. Since then, the Proteas have toured twice and the results have been 2-1 and 1-0 in their favour. And as the margins indicate, they were hard-fought, close encounters.
In 2008-‘09, the Proteas took part in the second-highest run chase of all time at Perth and their-then captain Graeme Smith batted with an injured left hand to prevent a consolation victory in the last Test in Sydney. That effort went in vain but portrayed the kind of resilience South African cricket embodies.
When South Africa toured again in 2012-’13, it was the turn of Faf du Plessis to carve out a strong beginning at Brisbane in the first Test. Then at Adelaide in the second Test, he batted for more than a day to stave off Australia.
Even more incredibly, AB de Villiers scored 33 runs off 220 balls in that Test. One of modern-day cricket’s most devastating batsmen was forced to accumulate runs at a speed that would have made dry paint blush.
South Africa, after battling out draws in the first two Tests , thumped Australia in the third Test at Perth, Ricky Ponting’s last match. Due process was paid respect by the Proteas in terms of acknowledging Ponting’s longevity and lustre in the build-up to the game, but they dispensed with the niceties on the field and proceeded to win by 309 runs, one of Australia’s biggest losses at home.
Always a close affair
Quite astonishingly, Australia have not lost a Test series in South Africa since the latter’s readmission to international cricket in 1991 .There have been eight Test tours undertaken by Australia who have drawn only two of them.
Pat Cummins had a dream debut in the last of these drawn affairs taking 6/79 in 2011 in Johannesburg. Vernon Philander had a similar impact for South Africa in the previous match when he helped knock out Australia for a paltry 47. Michael Clarke scored a battling 151 in the same match.
Australia, at this time, were at one of their lowest ebbs. But despite that, they still managed to level the series. For once, they were right up there with the ascendant Proteas who had taken over their number one spot.
The next series between the two countries in South Africa in 2014 was won with a 2-1 margin by Australia again. Their left-arm tearaway Mitchell Johnson always enjoyed bowling in South Africa and he had a gleeful time in 2014, picking up 22 wickets in the series.
In the last match of the series in Cape Town, AB de Villiers and Vernon Philander threatened to spoil Australia’s party and light up Graeme Smith’s last Test as captain, but Aussie pacer Ryan Harris had something to say about it. In a brilliant performance, he dismissed South Africa’s last two tail-enders, bowling while nursing a crooked knee. This came after he got rid of AB de Villiers who had scored 43 runs off 228 balls. When the match ended, there was a release of vent up tension not just from the players but also the supporters.
As the two nations resume hostilities on Thursday, except squabbles and sledging, just a dispensing of grit and greatness.
Australian and South African conditions are similar – both countries have traditionally offered fast and bouncy surfaces, conducive to the bowling attacks of both teams. This is, but one strand in the fascinating duel between these cricketing giants. While quite a few of their legendary names have left the scene, there are hopefully a few around to light the cricketing fire of the game.