- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Clashes between Australian and South Africa always resemble a local derby in football, where reputations mean very little and glorious uncertainty is the overriding theme.
Here are a few posers for one to muse over until the action begins.
1. What bearing will the retirement of Jacques Kallis have?
South African fans have downplayed the loss of this great all-rounder due to quality in their team, and depth in their reserves. This consensus omitted the huge presence Kallis had over the opposition in the lead-up to the game as well as during them.
Kallis was a master in three crucial disciplines in the game and represented a nemesis in opposition minds. Whether it be his batting, very heady bowling or underrated catching in slips, he took much of the focus of the opposition.
Now gone, that limelight comes on others without him shielding them. How well players pick up his slack in his absence will define the series.
2. Can Dave Warner gain respect in South Africa?
This cavalier opener has been touted as an oncoming storm since his century of the highest calibre in 2011.
Two dominating Ashes centuries has given hope that he has finally ended his days of teasing and is ready to please. A growing maturity, ever present in these innings, gave hope of this coming to fruition.
South Africa represents his potential graduation to respect, where he will have to overcome a high-calibre attack as well as his overseas average of 25.2.
If he can fire, his effect on the fragile Australian batting will be profound.
3. Graeme Smith’s conservative captaincy v Michael Clarke’s adventurous captaincy
As an objective onlooker, I have always thought that Australia feels a comfort against South Africa because of Graeme Smith’s conservative nature.
Smith is very much like Alastair Cook in his captaincy, in that he allows proceedings to unfold while backing the power of his team to assume dominance.
This is fine when the team is doing well but in times of struggle, when pro-activity is needed, it becomes a huge factor.
Clarke comes into this equation if the series is tight. He’ll prey on Smith’s propensity for sitting on his hands and will make things happen with his avant-garde tactics.
4. Can Australia challenge if Shane Watson cannot bowl?
It is no small coincidence that Australia’s run of better results has included Shane Watson bowling regularly, the all-rounder offering the attack a beautiful balance due to the eclectic nature of his bowling repertoire.
Watson is equally adept at being a strike bowler due to him getting the ball through at 140 with a bit of swing, a bit of cut, and a lot of bowling smarts, as well as being a perfect change bowler.
He acts as a complete baton change between the quick men and spinners, while always mounting pressure on the opposition through his dexterity in defensive and attacking bowling.
Take him out of the attack, and the bowling unit is irrevocably compromised.
5. Should South Africa have picked Quinton de Kock?
As all Aussie cricket fans awaited the announcement of the South African squad for the first Test, one got the feeling that they did not want to hear one name announced – Quinton de Kock.
Predictably, the conservative nature of South African mindsets shone through with him overlooked for all-rounders Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell. Both were selected on the basis of trying to replace Kallis’ bowling and batting, but their selection shows little understanding to the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.
Australia’s batting line-up is fragile, but its bowling strong. One could see the strength in South Africa’s bowling lording it over Australia’s batting, but respect had to be paid to its bowling threat.
A perfect opportunity to insert de Kock at six or seven which would have added to the batting, while simultaneously furrowing Aussie brows over the young phenomenon’s potential.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.