Day 3. 3rd Test from Newlands in Cape Town. Australia 209 & 2 for 102 (Katich 44no, Hughes 32) v South Africa 651 (de Villiers 163, Prince 150, Johnson 4-148)
Did we just awake from a dream? Did we dream that normal service had resumed? That Australia had restored status quo by winning an away series against the world’s form side two-nil?
Today reality sunk in. Australia was dominated by South Africa. So much so they were toyed with to the point of embarrassment. They have conceded a trio of Test centuries in an innings for the first time since 2001, when New Zealand somehow managed four. And the visitors are now staring down the barrel of their first innings defeat since Kolkata in 1998.
The figures from that match are eerily similar to this. After Australia was removed for 233 first time up, India’s top six each passed 65. Captain Mohammad Azharuddin was the only to reach three figures with 163 but that was hardly the point. Australia’s attack on that occasion comprised of one draft-horse, Michael Kasprowicz, one debutant, Paul Wilson, spinners Shane Warne and Gavin Robertson, and part-timers Greg Blewett and Mark Waugh.
At times during this afternoon, the current Australian bowlers, so instrumental in Australia’s series victory, looked equally as feeble.
Although it didn’t begin that way. Australia’s three quicks, despite being clearly jaded from a month’s hard toil, threw everything they had into the first hour. Peter Siddle was once again phenomenal all day, but he went wicket-less.
Ben Hilfenhaus was rewarded with a simple caught and bowled as Jacques Kallis made an awful mess of a ball banged in back of a length. JP Duminy then got a working over. The Australians feel he is vulnerably to the rising ball. They have succeeded with their plans so far this series. And succeeded again here albeit in a round-a-bout way. Duminy elegantly placed a short ball from Mitchell Johnson through point for four. Next ball, a similar delivery, Duminy tried to pull on-side, off balance. He dragged it onto his stumps for 7.
Mitchell Johnson lifted a cog with Mark Boucher’s arrival. The South African glove-man never settled as Johnson pushed him further and further back in the crease. The first ball in his half Boucher drove, seemingly edged, and was given out. He immediately referred Steve Bucknor’s decision to Billy Bowden. There was daylight between bat and ball. Bucknor standing in his 128th and last Test later gave another false positive against Paul Harris taking his tally of decisions overturned in this match to three.
It mattered little in the context of Boucher’s day. Johnson found the edge shortly after. No doubt was left once Ponting pouched it in-front of his eyes at second slip.
As with Ashwell Prince the day before, the momentum shifted with two shots off Johnson. This time, Albie Morkel, whose power hitting tormented Australia in one-day cricket this summer, pulled twice with vigour. He raced to 27 in as many balls, showing that his first-class average of 41 is not an anomaly.
It allowed AB de Villiers the freedom to expand and then explode. The previous evening de Villiers posted the easiest 39 runs of his Test career to date. The first hour this morning was a battle, but after that he toyed with the bowling. There was no mercy shown during de Villiers 196-ball stay. He knows how to cash in when oppositions are down and out. This was his ninth century in Test cricket; eight have come when teammates have also saluted. The exception being his fine hundred during the first Test in Johannesburg.
Bryce McGain was hammered again. De Villers picked him apart. His utter dominance was summed up in four consecutive sixes off Andrew McDonald. Despite the Victorian all-rounder claiming Morkel’s wicket for 58 in the same over, he was largely ineffective and hardly economical. It is the first time a trio of Victorians had featured in a Test side for a decade and barring a miraculous, but not inconceivable recall of both Chris Rogers and Brad Hodge it is unlikely to happen again for some time.
McGain’s third day’s toil in Test cricket was every bit as bad as his second. If his 18 overs, 0 for 149 weren’t humiliating enough, matters were made worse when Simon Katich was thrown the ball in the 151st over of the innings. Katich promptly took 2 for 9 in three overs including de Villiers for 163. He would have claimed three without the referral system in place, Harris getting a leg-before judgement overturned.
McGain’s fans will argue that de Villiers fell to a long hop and then Katich bowled at the hapless tail. But the reality is that in three overs Katich caused more trouble with variety and accuracy than McGain had in 18. Which begs the question why hadn’t Katich bowled earlier? He claimed three wickets in the fourth innings in Durban, and now has 18 Test scalps at 29.61. The four specialist spinners Australia has used in last 12 months have combined for 25 wickets at a cost of 47.56.
Admittedly you don’t want your opening batsman bowling too many overs for fear of robbing Peter to pay Paul, but if he is your best spinner what choice do you have?
Late in the day Harris proved a nightmare for Australia’s three left-handers, removing Phillip Hughes and troubling Katich and Hussey by exploiting the developed footmarks outside their off-stump. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and the footmarks were far more benign on day two, but if Ponting had his time again Michael Clarke would surely have been tried against the prancing Prince.
Australia finished the day still needing 340 to make South Africa pad up again. Hughes began his innings as if he was trying to post a fourth innings target. Two crisp drives sent Steyn’s first two deliveries to the rope. But Steyn adjusted quickly peppering Hughes’ ribs. It was a clear example of the blueprint all teams should follow when opposing the boy from Macksville. He fell to Harris prodding at one that spat from a footmark. But Steyn got his reward when he removed the Australian skipper for 12.
Katich, who has been Australia’s best in this match by a distance, looked in complete control for 44, Hussey was unsettled by Harris but survived. The former Western Australian teammates need to produce their greatest ever partnership to steer Australia to safety. Otherwise the two-part summer drama will surely end, perhaps fittingly, three-all.
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