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Shaun Marsh stunned his critics and Steven Smith played another knock that brought Australia out of a sticky spot and left them with a chance to dictate terms on the second day of the first Test against South Africa. Follow the action live from 7.30 pm AEDT.
It was a tale of two halves on the first day. The first half saw South African skipper Graeme Smith win the toss and field, a decision that was initially vindicated through his bowlers who took four quick Australian wickets.
Just half an hour after the lunch break, his opposite number, Michael Clarke, was back in the pavilion, with Australia yet to reach the 100-run mark.
Over the next 65-odd overs, the surprise selection, Shaun Marsh, and Australia’s new rear-guard expert, Steve Smith, not only pulled Australia out of a big hole, but also put them into a position of great strength.
This momentum swing made Graeme Smith look a tad silly over his decision not to bat first.
What made Smith’s option to allow his bowlers the first use of the pitch even stranger was the fact that his premier pace bowler Dale Steyn had woken up with a stomach bug and it was an issue that made him look pedestrian at times.
Still Steyn picked up two wickets and bowled decent channels while Morne Morkel troubled the opposition with his bounce and pace.
It was the others who struggled through the day.
Vernon Philander barely looked like a bowler who averages 18 and is currently at the top of the ICC charts, while Ryan McLaren, who joined the side as Jacques Kallis’ replacement, failed to replicate the disciplines from his first couple of spells.
The spinners were easily taken on by Australia; their run-rate against the pair of Robin Peterson and JP Duminy was only 3.4, but this has to do with the fact that they were playing out to get through to the second new ball.
By the close of play, Marsh had gotten to his second Test century while Smith was on the verge of his third in four Tests.
A score of 4/297 after being inserted in to bat does look quite strong at the moment, but Australia cannot expect this South African attack to dole out the niceties that came their way against England.
A good night’s sleep could refresh Steyn up enough to not only charge in better on day two, but may also inspire the others around him to up the ante by a couple of notches.
A wicket or two in the first 30-45 minutes of the second day could open things up for South Africa and to expect Brad Haddin and co. to sew it back in place yet again may not be the easiest objective against such a quality attack.
The track was an easy-paced one for batting on the first day but it could quicken up on the second and the third day. How the batsmen adjust to it and whether they can push the Australian total to at least 400, if not much more, will hold the key to their chances in the game.
A score of 400 will be difficult to chase down against the Aussie bowling attack, but if there’s a team that has the batting to do it, it’s the likes of Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers.
Australia hold the edge for now but expect South Africa to come roaring back on day two.
Join me for this second day of the first Test on Thursday and you can follow the live score of this game from 7.30 pm AEDT and post your comments below.
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