Australia will be looking to take their momentum of six belting wins on the trot and capitalise on it in the second Test match against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, starting at 7:30pm AEDT.
Australia’s pace ace Mitchell Johnson proved that the red hot Australian Summer with the ball was no fluke, capturing 12 wickets in the first Test, while there are plenty of welcome selection headaches for Messrs Inverarity, Bichel, Marsh and Lehmann.
Shane Watson is pressing for a return to the side that he has contributed to so strongly over the past 12 months after recovering from a calf injury.
If Watson is selected, it will likely be at the expense of a supremely unlucky Alex Doolan, who looked very accomplished in his innings of 27 and 89 in the first Test to go with his two beautiful snares of a menacing Johnson at short leg.
Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith and David Warner all made tons in Centurion, and Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers will be looking to make amends from poor returns.
On the other side, South Africa have headaches of a different kind.
Their replacement for the irreplaceable Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, was struck by a very nasty bouncer from that man Mitchell and will sit this Test out, and you would imagine that there aren’t too many potential Proteas number sevens out there queuing up to replace him. That is if they have any regard for their safety.
Meanwhile, skipper Graeme Smith will want to bounce back from a tough first Test in which he found himself under fire from South African supporters as well as the Aussie bowlers and media. His battle with Johnson will be one of the tales of the match.
South Africa’s bowling attack, highly regarded by all, is still not to be underestimated. Once again Australian found themselves four down for less than 100 against Steyn, Morkel and Philander, but one massive partnership between Marsh and Smith all but rescued the innings and won them the Test.
You would think that the Australian top order will need to be more resolute in the face of the barrage from the two top-ranked quicks and the rangy Morkel, as they won’t take the foot off the throat every time.
South Africa’s batsman simply need to show more starch than the last match. They cannot go two down early and allow Johnson and his mates Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle to get their tales up. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Join us for all the live scores from 7:30pm AEDT for all the latest, and feel free to drop a comment below.
Bill Welch
Guest
Is there any danger of silencing that raucous and off tune band that is overpowering the commentary and spoiling the cricket?
Radelaide
Guest
Yes there is, like De Kock you're a bit premature :), ok no more...promise.
Blaze
Guest
No live day two updates or chat?
Rob JM
Guest
Apparently this pitch will break up if the wind continues to blow from the west. It will also swing if the wind blows from the ocean. Both teams still in with a good chance although SA lack of a quality spin option may allow Aus to them to survive with a draw if they have to bat again. Aus hoping to make 600 and bowl SA out on the fifth day at this rate.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
It will do their confidence no good at all if they simply get strangled on a complete road. Nor if, when the Australians get in, the SA attack meets the same problem of having nothing to work with in this pitch, But more to the point, SA is a game down and cannot afford to sacrifice this test as a psychological exercise. They had to attack here, and they have shirked the gauntlet. There will be no result on that pitch, which will leave SA with no chance at a series win.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
You misunderstand; he's saying SA got so focused on Mitch, they've shot their own foot off with this pitch. Their mind set isn't on winning if this is the pitch they have prepared, because they have given their bowlers nothing. It will be a miracle if this match sees as many as 20 wickets fall in total.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
When you can't bowl wicket-takers, Aus' bowling attack has learned to bowl hyper-disciplined. You can survive at 2-2.5 rpo, but you cannot survive the risk-taking required to sustain 3-3.5 rpo. This attrition style was what did the greatest damage to England in the Ashes.
They did, evety time someone tries to be aggressive they lose their wicket
Beauty of a geek brains of a bimbo(atgm)
Guest
Umpires correctly take the players off for bad light after Steve Smith's over of long-hops didn't go for 36.
ak
Roar Guru
Err. Father.
ak
Roar Guru
Greed is the mother of all evils
ak
Roar Guru
Yeah!!! New ball in the morning.
Tom from Perth
Guest
Yep. He did that at Lords.
ak
Roar Guru
I think Pup wants MJ to take it in the morning when he would be fresh. Anyway the scoring rate is slow. So not much to lose and more to gain by waiting.
Tom from Perth
Guest
What an anti-climax... start with the new ball tomorrow I guess. Good hustle boys!
ak
Roar Guru
SA. please show some guts.
Tom from Perth
Guest
Do you think the light is stopping Mitch bowl?
Silver_Sovereign
Guest
and that's why Smith should have bowled a few over earlier. He has a habit in all forms of cricket of getting on a role and taking groups of wickets
ak
Roar Guru
Lyon the lion
ak
Roar Guru
Ok. Get the new ball and throw it over to MJ