In the eyes of many, the Centurion demolition job on the South Africans by the Australians represented a standing eight count to be followed by the inevitable knock-out blow in Port Elizabeth.
Enter South Africa’s mastery of reverse swing and the only inevitability was Australia tail spinning into defeat.
The series leveller flipped the series on its ear with Australia now faced with the prospect of a third Test in Cape Town against hosts with momentum filling their sails.
While their new found resolve and belief left in tatters by a decade long thorn in its side that has festered being revisited.
Which makes one question why has an issue that has constantly upended the teams fortune never been adequately addressed?
The only answer to this is an acknowledgement of incompetence or denial by all involved.
They all talk the talk but never deliver the evidence on the field.
That is an indictment of the highest order, when one considers reverse swing as the difference between teams ability to win on all types of pitches and any conditions.
Port Elizabeth exposed the Aussie attack as being deadly dangerous in conditions that favoured, but lacking in the necessary skills for unreceptive decks.
Condemning further is the fact that Australia’s most hated foe in England has gained its dexterity through the teachings of ones own.
Notably, Troy Cooley, who masterminded the ’05 Ashes victory for England where reverse was the main theme and David Saker who commandeered the Ashes triumph on Australian soil by getting the English to master the swinging of the Kookaburra ball.
This obviously shows expertise among Australia’s ranks but little results to show.
Symbolically, when Troy Cooley was Australian bowling coach or in his next tenure as head coach of Cricket Australia centre of excellence from 2011 onwards few have shown an ability to swing it.
Why Australian bowlers cannot master this crucial art befuddles fans.
The absurdity gains head in hands credibility when the only bowler who has mastered it is the part timer Shane Watson.
A medium pacer that showed in both Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2011 how devastating he can be when the ball goes ‘Irish’.
It is as devastating on Australia’s batting as seen in the dramatic batting collapse of 09/10 in the second Test.
That compelled all of Australia to wake in stunned shock after bedding down comforted in the outside possibility of a remarkable win. As soon as the ball reversed it quite literally froze the batsmen senses rendering them all inept to deal with it.
Succumbing to the swing or falling to the deception of expecting the ball to swing.
They have all failed the necessary need to play late which counters the misbehaviour of the ball. This shows how lacking in technique and temperament they are to be able to have the skills to adapt what challenges the bowler is demanding.
Let’s hope for Aussies chance that the only ‘reverse’ in the deciding third Test is the result from Port Elizabeth
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