Australia vs South Africa - Could be the best Test series in years. Buy or not?

Well, at first glance it seems like a potentially defining series (length notwithstanding). Box office players all around. But I just have this nagging feeling that if South Africa shows up, it could, in boxing terms, be an early stoppage. Since 2008, De Villiers is averaging 66, Amla 61, and Smith 58. Hussey averages 9 against Morkel, Steyn, & Philander. Australia are at home, and have traditionally held a psychölogical edge över RSA, so obviously one has to take such intangibles into consideration. but strictly speaking, this might not be one for the ages.

I would be surprised if SA hammer the Aussies. No matter how much the difference in abilities between the sides in SA's favour their inherent inferiority complex against Aus (not to mention their fear of being favourites) allows Aus to be competitive. The last 2 home series against Aus are good examples of this. It will be interesting to see if Gary Kirsten can help them to overcome this.

Gee, thanks Galted.

My pleasure Biltong. I do hope I'm wrong though.

I don't think it will be as one-sided as some people are saying. South Africa may well win 3-0 but I'd be surprised if the individual test matches were walk-overs. The main reason is that Australia have a quality bowling attack (and strength in depth), so even if their batting struggles (which it might, given their top-order struggles in particular) I expect their bowling to keep them in the game for long periods.

The stat on Hussey is not all that telling - he has as far as I know played only a couple of matches against this particular South African attack, at a time when he was out of form and Australia's batting was struggling hugely.

This is not a bad Australian side: they have drawn in South Africa and against New Zealand, won in Sri Lanka and the West Indies and smashed India at home. ON the whole they are in better shape than England were when South Africa went there.

South Africa rightly start as favourites, but these series are rarely walk-overs. I for one wouldn't be that surprised if Australia came out on top.

I don't think we are favourites, pretty much a lot to do what my learned friend Galted had to say.

We do have some form of mental thing going on with the aussies, I don't think it is inferiority though, I think it is more an attitude of wanting to beat them so badly that the players tense up and forget to just go through the processes. Plus adding to that the aussies know it, so they play on it in the media which makes these Protea players all the more tense.


I think that is what Kirsten meant when he said a while ago the South African players mst learn to focus on the process and not the result.

Definitely mental.

Maybe inferiority complex is the wrong choice of words but, as you say, the mental block is there & the Aussies are masters at sniffing it out.

Favourites on paper. Australia's two main strengths is their fast bowling and middle-order batting. South Africa are stronger in both. South Africa's weakness is their opening pair (Smith hasn't done too well recently and Petersen is a bit hit and miss), and spin bowling options - Australia arguably have the same problems.

South Africa's real problem is in the batting department. If de Villiers keep then that would place extra pressure on him and going by the England series, keeping takes a bit out of AB's batting. Duminy has improved a bit in recent times, but plays a bit too rash a game for my comfort. Rudolph has done not much to consilidate his place in the team. So that leaves a great deal of responsibility on Smith, Amla and Kallis, as Petersen is also only establishing himself.
Now if AB doesn't keep, then Tsolekile will have to come in, in place of Rudolph in my view. But then I don't think Tsolekile is good enough to bat at 7 for a quality international test outfit like South Africa. So if the Australian pace unit could land some early punches, then they might just be able to control the game.

You won't find a SA fan predicting an easy win. While I have full faith in this team and see it as the best test team in the world currently it is by no means a position AUS enjoyed through the 90's and 00's. Bowling, Batting and Fielding do look good for SA at the moment.

I do not think de Villiers will keep wicket and am quite happy with Thami being there as a no 7 /8 batsman. He has heaps of 1st class experience and has been in decent form over the last few seasons. (http://www.supersport.com/cricket/blogs/neil-manthorp/Thamis_thick_skin)

I am also happy for Peterson to be continually underrated by the opposition.

Lastly, I've picked up that it is now being claimed that England were 'not in great shape' before SA played them recently. This is in direct contrast to the general feeling in the UK and on 606v2 where England was being spoken up as the next Australia who would send SA home with its tail between its legs ala India. It was being questioned whether any team in the near future could displace them from their newly found number one status. A team with two world class (a lable quickly dished out to English players) bowling attacks that could walk into any other international side...blah blah blah bah.... it's pretty ammusing

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the test series and predict a close win for SA

MMaaxx wrote:
Lastly, I've picked up that it is now being claimed that England were 'not in great shape' before SA played them recently. This is in direct contrast to the general feeling in the UK and on 606v2 where England was being spoken up as the next Australia who would send SA home with its tail between its legs ala India.

Perhaps in some quarters, but not by me. Drubbed 3-0 in the UAE, failed to win in Sri Lanka against a very average side, and struggled even at times against the West Indies in conditions tailor-made for them. The teams were evenly matched (more evenly than these two sides IMO) but England's recent form and stories of unrest were certainly causes for concern.

By contrast Australia are certainly in better shape. As msp suggests if their bowlers can make inroads they'll have a chance.

At home they have more than a chance!

This will be really close and SA will need Smith, Amla, Kallis and de Villiers at their best.

The bowlers will have enough support out of the pitches in AUS to look ater themselves and cause problems.

It will be an exciting series.....for more balanced than the India-Eng series.

especially given that Australia is preparing pacy, seam friendly pitches.

it will be a battle of fast bowler...while SA's is more experienced....

Aus has an exciting and bumper harvest .....and excess of fast bowlers...Starc, Pattinson, Cummins, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger, Siddle......and not even counting Johnson....

Kallis for SA and watson for Aus a the repective 4th seamers underlines the quality of pace attack on both sides.

Aus's batting fattened on listless, uninterested Indian attack in the last series will be tested.

November will be a Feast for test cricket lovers