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As the temperature rises, the sunscreen is slapped on and the smell of freshly cut grass soars through the air, it signifies one thing: summer is here, and with that, Australia’s favourite summer sport, cricket.
The Australian team have an extremely busy 18 months ahead of them, including an Ashes Test series in England.
However, before we start to get excited about the next battle for the Ashes, there is a more important series just about to take place.
Australia takes on the current No. 1 ranked Test team, South Africa, in a three match series beginning Friday in Brisbane.
So how are we going to fare?
I believe it will come down to the battle of the batters, as the bowling stocks are quite evenly matched.
The South Africans boast one of the deepest batting orders at the moment due to Boucher’s forced retirement allowing de Villiers to take over the keeping duties.
At the top you have the inspirational leader Graeme Smith.
I still remember when he came in as the last wicket on the final day of the SCG (2009) with a broken hand to try and deny the Australians a win.
Even though he was bowled by Mitchell Johnson, it sent a strong message about the the type of player he is and what his team is all about.
In that series, South Africa had already won the first two Tests, yet he was brave enough to try and gain a draw for his team in the final match.
Then you have Amla, coming off massive hundreds in the recent series against England, and the ever-so-cool Kallis.
Kallis is still yet to produce his best against the Australians, and if he does, we are in for a treat from one of the best all-rounders in international cricket.
Even if the Aussies take a few early wickets, you still have de Villiers to follow, who is in the top 5 top batsmen in Test cricket at the moment, and JP Duminy, who captivated the Australian public four years ago with his match-winning performances in the Perth and Melbourne Tests.
The Australians, despite only having Clarke in the world’s top 10 batsmen, still have the potential to amass a lot of runs.
Warner with Cowan at the top provides the perfect opening partnership, with Cowan acting as the steady ship. If Warner gets going, who knows how many runs will be scored in a day.
Clarke will again look to send a strong message batting at 4 and will try and reproduce last summer’s mesmerising performances.
It will be strange to see Ponting coming in at 5, but his preparation in Shield cricket has been just what the doctor ordered, hopefully allowing him to gain some confidence and show us the aggressive batsmen we all remember.
Mr Cricket comes in at 6 and always gives strength to the batting line-up no matter where he bats. He will work well with the middle/tail order.
Whilst Wade has been elevated to the role of Australia’s No. 1 wicket-keeper, the dynamic player will want to stamp his authority on his position not only with the gloves but also the bat.
Yet are all these batsmen ready to face the likes of Steyn and Philander, who are ranked 1 and 2, and the sterp bounce of Morne Morkle?
Only time will tell.
The fact that the South Africans haven’t played a Test at the Gabba in nearly 50 years, combined with the intimate knowledge Mickey Arthur brings as a former South African coach, gives the Australians the advantage.
These factors will allow Australia to come out will all guns blazing in the first Test and I am predicting an Australian win.
As for who will win the series, that is a lot tougher to predict.
The South Africans are No. 1 ranked team for good reason and I am certain they will prepare themselves well and will be hungrier than ever to prove their ranking and continue their success on Australian soil.
The Aussies will have their tails up playing on home soil, but will need to rely on some key players to secure a series win.
This is certainly a series that will be watched with great interest around the world.
Lisa Sthalekar is a current member of the NSW Breakers and the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars. She has recently returned from Sri Lanka after retaining the T20 World Cup, which the team won in 2010 in the West Indies. Lisa was also part of the team that won the 50 over World Cup in 2005. She has recently released her autobiography, Shaker, which you can purchase on her website.
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