Will Johnson, Hughes regain their magic in South Africa?

 
Kersi Meher-Homji Columnist

By , 18 Oct 2011 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert

Tagged:
 , , , ,

33 Have your say

Related coverage




The selectors have done a good job in picking the Test squad for South Africa. There is a mixture of youth – epitomised by 18 year-old quickie Patrick Cummins – and experience, symbolised by batting veterans Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey, both twice Patrick’s age.

Here is my Test XI:
Shane Watson and Phil Hughes to open with Shaun Marsh at no. 3, followed by Ponting, skipper Michael Clarke and Hussey. Usman Khawaja will have to show superlative form to oust Marsh.

Brad Haddin will keep wickets and bat at no.7.

Mitchell Johnson will open the attack with Trent Copeland and Cummins (or Ryan Harris) to share the new ball. Watson will then bowl his medium-pacers.

Nathan Lyon showed sufficient promise in Sri Lanka last month to be the sole spinner, with Clarke to lend a helping hand.

Barring injuries, Michael Beer and Peter Siddle will be players-in-waiting; carrying drinks, dry gloves and captain’s instructions to the middle.

Australia’s record in South Africa is impressive.

They have won 25 out of the 45 Tests played in South Africa, lost 11 with nine drawn. On their last tour to South Africa in 2008-09, Australia under Ponting won the series 2-1.

Only seven from the current squad of 15 had toured South Africa two years ago. They are Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Siddle, Haddin, Johnson and Hughes. That’s a big turn-around in just a couple of years.

Of these plucky seven, two –Johnson and Hughes – had a marvellous tour.
Johnson had scored 255 runs at a super average of 85.00, hitting a century (123 not out, his only Test ton so far) and a fifty.

He also captured 16 wickets at 25.00 with 4 for 25 as his best.

He was adjudged the Man of the Match in the first Test at Johannesburg by hitting an unbeaten 96 and taking 4 for 25 and 4 for 112 as Australia won by 162 runs.

In the third and final Test in Cape Town he scored 123 not out in the second innings and captured 4 for 148, and was the worthy Man of the Series.

Phil Hughes followed his 0 and 75 in his Test debut at Johannesburg by hitting two centuries (115 and 160) in the second Test at Durban.

He added 184 runs for the opening wicket with Simon Katich (108) in the first innings and 164 runs for the second wicket with skipper Ponting (81) for the second wicket in the second innings.

This was behind Australia winning the Test by 175 runs and the Test series 2-0 with one Test to go. Hughes was the obvious Man of the Durban Test. He was then 20 years and 98 days old and became the youngest to hit two hundreds in a Test.

In that Test series, Hughes had outscored batsmen from both sides, aggregating 415 runs at 69.16.

But since then, both Johnson and Hughes have been disappointing.

What went wrong? Will these inconsistent performers, Johnson and Hughes, regain their mojo in the two-Test series starting in South Africa next month?

Wild Turkey - find out more
The Turkey 10

The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.

Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!

Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.

Find out more.

Get a daily cricket email

Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it.

We value privacy. More.