There are more storylines than you can poke a stick at as the final Test of what has been a disastrous series for Australia gets underway. Can they avoid a whitewash against South Africa under lights at the Adelaide Oval?
South Africa have been dominant across the first two Tests and have wrapped up the series with a match to spare.
The Aussies haven’t looked in the same league as the tourists with bat or ball at either the WACA or Bellerive Oval, but it’s not the on-field performances that have had people talking over the last few days.
With the series gone, Australia must build up some form in this day-night Test ahead of their three-match series against Pakistan, but even that has fallen by the wayside.
Australia’s chairman of selectors Rod Marsh has fallen on his sword, with criticism of the teams that were picked for the first two Tests reaching breaking point.
It’s not really a surprise either, given his contract was due to end next year and the job has become one that has more bad than good days.
What happened next, though, with the new panel making six changes for the final Test, shocked many, even if it was needed after players went back to the Sheffield Shield and failed to perform.
It’s been reported there could have been a seventh if Steve O’Keefe didn’t injure himself playing for New South Wales, with Nathan Lyon seemingly on the outer.
Going down the batting order from the debacle in Hobart, where the Aussies were rolled for 85 and then collapsed to go down by an innings in the second, the first casualty is Joe Burns.
While his replacement, youngster Matt Renshaw, might come as a surprise, Burns being dropped with scores of 1, 0, 4 and 2 in his last four innings isn’t.
All of David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith have been retained, with their performances being one of the only bright spots alongside opening bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Adam Voges, Callum Ferguson and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill are all gone from the side, replaced by Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson and Matthew Wade. Joe Mennie has also been replaced with Jackson Bird pipping Chadd Sayers for the third seamer’s spot.
After two shellackings, it was clear change was needed, but whether swapping half the squad is the correct option or not we will find out in due course.
It hasn’t been all fun and games for South Africa since Hobart finished either. Faf du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering for the second time in his career and the side crashed to a Victorian XI in a tour game at the MCG.
While the side will be stable heading into the third Test, motivation could be a factor as they start to turn their attention to the upcoming series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Dead rubber Tests always seem to throw up surprises, but this one looks a little more set in stone.
The way the South African bowlers have been bowling, three debutants in the batting order isn’t going to help Australia, and it’s hard to see the Proteas’ batsmen failing given their outstanding form.
They have handled everything thrown at them on tour, with the pink ball under lights looking like just another obstacle they will clear.
Recent History
Last 5 matches
November 12-15 2016 – South Africa won by an innings and 80 runs in Hobart
November 3-7 2016, South Africa won by 177 runs in Perth
February 12-16 2014, Australia won by 281 runs at Centurion
February 20-24 2014, South Africa won by 231 runs in Port Elizabeth
March 1-5 2014, Australia won by 245 runs in Cape TownLast 5 series
Australia 2 – South Africa 1, in South Africa 2014
South Africa 1 – Australia 0, in Australia 2012-13
South Africa 1 – Australia 1, in South Africa 2011-12
Australia 2 – South Africa 1, in South Africa 2009
South Africa 2 – Australia 1, in Australia 2008-09
The pink ball
As witnessed in last year’s first ever pink ball Test match between Australia and New Zealand, playing under lights changes the complexion of the game in a massive way.
The amount of swing bowlers can get under lights is amplified, and it was the only Test last summer that finished inside three days.
While Australia won that encounter, it can only be anticipated that both sides will struggle with the bat in hand once again, and tactics – including whether to declare late in a day’s play – become all the more important.
Which changes are the right ones?
Six changes seem like a hell of a lot, and that’s because it is, but were they all necessary and correct?
Changing half the squad for a single Test and having three debutants in the side is an incredibly risky move, and if it backfires it will be disastrous.
Matt Renshaw is the most risky selection, given he has only played 12 Sheffield Shield games, but there was no question that, with Shawn Marsh still injured, Joe Burns wasn’t going to be the answer.
Nic Maddinson, who is another version of David Warner without the record to go with it, could be seen as the lucky one, with fellow New South Wales player Kurtis Patterson missing out despite some fantastic form.
Peter Handscomb is worthy of his shot, and given both Callum Ferguson and Adam Voges didn’t impress in Hobart – and that Voges is still feeling the effects of a blow to the helmet from his last Shield game – they are changes that can be explained.
Matthew Wade coming back into the team is a risk – and not a good one at that. While Peter Nevill has been struggling with the bat, his keeping skills are what he was being picked for, and it feels like it’s a step back to the ‘batsman who can keep’ mantra with Wade coming back in.
The real problem against the pink ball, though, is Wade’s style simply won’t suit it. Nevill is a player who can get in the grind and make tough runs – Wade is naturally a more aggressive player, and could be in some trouble against the Proteas attack.
The bowling change, which sees Joe Mennie drop out for Jackson Bird, feels right, so overall the selectors have done what should be considered as a pretty solid job.
Mintgate
Some – not very much, mind you – but some of the heat on the Australians has been taken off in the media by the incident being touted as mintgate.
If you have been living under a rock, allow me to fill you in on the details: South African captain Faf du Plessis was caught red-handed during the match in Hobart extracting the saliva from a mint to shine the ball.
While no one is sitting here blaming Australia’s loss on it, the vision of Faf clearly tampering with the state of the ball is crazy.
When there are cameras tracking every moment of the game, the players – particularly the captain – should know better.
Given it’s not his first time being found guilty of ball tampering – although he is appealing the decision – there are also plenty of questions about whether he should have been suspended.
It must be said if the ICC want to send a strong message, then a second offence drawing a minor fine is not going to do that.
Australia have never been whitewashed at home
It’s an amazing statistic that Australia have never been held to zero in a home Test series, but could it happen for the first time here?
More than a century of Test series indicate it won’t, yet the way they have been totally outclassed in the first two matches suggests they will.
Quinton de Kock is the next Adam Gilchrist… But how good will he get?
Another match and another awesome performance from the South African keeper. De Kock led the batting effort in Hobart for the South Africans, racking up a century in their innings after the Aussies looked to gain some ascendency at the back end of Day 1 with some good bowling.
De Kock’s innings was full of control, but he kept up the scoring rate, eventually getting out for 104 off 143 balls, which in tough conditions is a very reasonable clip.
His form has been on the up for a good 12 months now, and he is a key part of the Proteas’ batting order in all three forms of the game, earning him the inevitable ‘next Adam Gilchrist’ tag.
De Kock is a different player to Gilchrist in some ways, but he is the same model of player and the way things are going he will be South Africa’s best ever keeper-batsman.
When you take into account that he is still only 23, it’s not inconceivable to think he will one day captain his country and become one of the best in international cricket.
Key Information
First ball: 2:30pm (AEDT) – 2pm (ACST), Saturday, November 12
Venue: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
TV: Live, Nine Network
Betting: Australia $2.35, Draw $6, South Africa $2.15
Overall Record: Played 93, Australia 50, South Africa 23, Drawn 20
Umpires: Nigel Llong and Richard KettleboroughHours of play
Start (AEDT) Finish (AEDT) Start (ACST) Finish (ACST) Afternoon Session 2:30pm 4:30pm 2pm 4pm Tea break 4:30pm 4:50pm 4pm 4:20pm Evening session 4:50pm 6:50pm 4:20pm 6:20pm Tea break 6:50pm 7:30pm 6:20pm 7pm Evening session 7:30pm 9:30pm 7pm 9pm *Note, times may be changed and play can be extended for half an hour to allow the full 90 overs to be bowled in a day.
Teams
Australia
1. David Warner (vc)
2. Matt Renshaw
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Steve Smith (c)
5. Peter Handscomb
6. Nic Maddinson
7. Matthew Wade (wk)
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Josh Hazlewood
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Jackson Bird12. Chadd Sayers
South Africa (likely)
1. Stephen Cook
2. Dean Elgar
3. Hashim Amla
4. Jean-Paul Duminy
5. Faf du Plessis (c)
6. Temba Bavuma
7. Quinton de Kock (wk)
8. Vernon Philander
9. Kyle Abbott
10. Kagiso Rabada
11. Keshav Maharaj12. Morne Morkel
The South Africans have been on fire, and putting a pink ball in the hands of Vernon Philander, Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada against an inexperienced batting lineup should spell disaster for the hosts.
While Australia have never been whitewashed at home, it’s been a long time since they were dominanted like they have been in the first two tests.
I’m tipping the Proteas to create history in Adelaide.
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Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
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