1st Test: Australia v South Africa, Brisbane

First topic message reminder :

The series that is huge for both teams. Australia with a chance to regain the No1 spot or for SA to cement their current occupation as the top ranked team.

Smith has won the toss and South Africa will bat.

No Tahir, Kleinveldt is making his Test debut. And Kallis with a niggle so may not bowl much.

Teams:

Australia; EJM Cowan, DA Warner, RJ Quiney, RT Ponting, MJ Clarke*, MEK Hussey, MS Wade†, NM Lyon, PM Siddle, JL Pattinson, BW Hilfenhaus.

South Africa; GC Smith*, AN Petersen, HM Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers†, JA Rudolph, JP Duminy, VD Philander, M Morkel, DW Steyn, RK Kleinveldt

Australia will carry more forward from this game than South Africa will, second Test should be a cracker!

Well done to your team LB, I agree wth duty281, Oz will definitely take more positives from this test.

Luckily for us, the injury to duminy didn't cost us a test.

I'm not sure I believe that much in momentum between tests. Last two ashes series Australia allegedly had momentum coming into the final test(s) and fat lot of good it did them.

Having said that, the middle-order engine room looks in good form, and Pattinson (and increasingly Siddle) was bowling with good rythm.

Not sure the pitch was all that flat: ball was still carrying through nicely yesterday, South Africa's innings was built around Kallis and Amla (the rest didn't make all that many between them) whilst Australia were 40-3 first up. Also, how different would the scores have been without all the no-balls?

Sets up an interesting series nicely.

It has to be remembered that South Africa played with 10 men as JP Duminy took absolutely no part in the game. South Africa's first innings batting, and their bowling were affected because of this.
Hopefully Tahir will be back for the next match in place of Kleinweldt, and du Plessis in for Duminy?

I read somewhere Dean Elgar is being called up, will have to confirm it though.

Yeah, its Elgar who's been called up as Duminy's replacement. But for the next test I think they'll go in with du Plessis, as he has been the first in line for some time now.

du Plessis would logically play. I'm not sure he's a Test player (or even an ODI player) but given he'll be batting at seven, his fielding could go a long way to justifying his selection.

Faf will have to really prove himself.
Despite the kind of class that South Africa have got at the top down to 5 perhaps other than Petersen who still is establishing himself, the lower middle order has got some problems. Duminy was refinding himself as a test cricketer, Rudolph's return has been average at best. AB de Villiers has been offering only middling performances with the bat after taking the gloves.
They do need some quality batsmen to come through. Young Quinton de Kock is a good prospect and the added bonus is that he could alsoe be keeping wickets. I was more impressed with Elgar's bowling rather than his batting in England!.

I am not so sure FAF will automatically step in, I think at this stage Elgar has a fair chance, in the Republic he is deemed a better 4 day batsman than limited overs batsman

But if Elgar is ahead of Faf, then why did they name Faf in the first place? Specialist sub-fielder?

Elgar could be decent. Doubt he'd be sensational but he'd probably accumulate runs, but then is that what they need at seven? If AB's going to keep then they really need somebody who can take the game on in that position.

The reason I believe Elgar has been called up is to provide a similar role as to what Duminy would have played.

Just guessing

Maybe Quinton du Kock, as a call-up?

#intresting

I doubt it CF, next year maybe.

Biltong wrote:Well done to your team LB, I agree wth duty281, Oz will definitely take more positives from this test.

Luckily for us, the injury to duminy didn't cost us a test.

Cheers mate, even though there was no result I believe there are some positives to take into the next match. As Mike says, not 'momentum' as such but both teams will have to do it all again in Adelaide.

Bad luck about JP, he's a big loss. They wheeled him out for the lunchtime cricket show on Monday - he seems upbeat about his recovery. Operation was successful and it might be 6 months instead of 12 now. I wish him a full and speedy recovery.