South Africa vs Australia live: Third Test, Day Five live scores, blog

The outcome of the Adelaide Test match in 2012 will be in the minds of most as South Africa and Australia take field on the fifth and the final day of the third Test match on Wednesday. Follow the action live from 7:00pm AEDT.

For those who are inclined towards statistics, it’s interesting to note that South Africa had gone into the final day of that Adelaide Test at 4/77 after having battled on for 50 overs on the previous day. AB de Villiers was still at the crease and on 12.

In this game, much like that one, de Villiers is still batting and has scored 16 from 100, and South Africa have a somewhat similar score of 4/71 from 41 overs.

What could be a bit of a worry is Ryan Harris’ fitness after he was seen struggling a tad on the field. It may just be bit of a niggle but if it is anything close to what James Pattinson suffered in that Adelaide Test, there will be a few worried members of the Australian team.

Coincidentally, South Africa had survived 98 overs on that final day to draw the match, which is exactly the number they need to face to save this Test.

There are a few things that are different too.

One, the track in Adelaide was quite a flat one without too much support for the bowlers. Here, every now and then, there’s some reverse happening and for a new batsman, it’s always going to be difficult adjusting to it.

One has already seen how Hashim Amla, despite having batted for nearly 150 balls, failed to keep out that reverse swinging ball jagging back into him. It had prodigious movement and would have befuddled most batsmen.

The other difference is the presence of Mitchell Johnson, who, at the moment is in a league of his own. And that league has exactly one member, him.

Since his comeback into the side, Johnson has been quite a handful for most batsmen. The South African batsmen will find it no different on the final day of this Test match.

South Africa will need good fortune here. Oodles of it.

No battles are won, or Tests drawn, from positions as dire as this without that one factor.

If one casts one’s mind back to that famous Adelaide Test as well, du Plessis survived three reviews – two of his own and one from opposite captain Michael Clarke – while he had one dropped catch that kept him alive throughout the day.

Can de Villiers, du Plessis and co. do that to help Graeme Smith maintain his six-year long unbeaten record at home as he walks away into the sunset?

Will the South Africans make Clarke regret his decision not to declare earlier than he did?

Or will the Aussies run through the South Africans rather quickly on the final day?

Join me for this fifth day of the third Test on Wednesday and you can follow the live score of this game from 7:00pm AEDT and post your comments below.