When Australia began its Test series against South Africa, one of the intrigues was how Australia’s often much-maligned batting line-up would fare against South Africa’s bowling attack.
The South African side contained the two best fast bowlers in the world, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.
Steyn, the number one ranked bowler in the world, took six wickets in the opening Test, but he didn’t prevent Australia going one up.
Centuries from Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, David Warner and a brutal 12-wicket haul to Mitchell Johnson ensured an Australian victory.
However, in the second Test Steyn ripped through Australia’s batting order in the second innings with 4/55, courtesy of reverse swing, therefore levelling the series.
In the third and final Test, after bowling just 10 overs in the first innings, a hamstring injury sidelined Steyn for the rest of the innings.
In the second innings, Steyn only bowled three overs.
Injury did ruin Steyn’s effectiveness in the deciding Test.
He picked up 12 wickets at an average of 26.41 in the series.
It makes you wonder what might have been if injury hadn’t struck.
In contrast, Steyn’s partner in crime Philander had an ordinary time.
Prior to this series, Philander was ranked the number two in the world and was a bowler to be feared.
Three Tests later, Philander’s reputation has been lowered.
He took only seven wickets at an average of 51.71.
Ouch! A far cry from his career average of 18 before the series.
Sure, Philander has only played 23 Tests and, as such, it is not a big sample size to judge a player’s career.
Philander’s hugely disappointing series was one of the key reasons why South Africa got beaten by Australia, particularly in the first and final Tests.
Looking through Philander’s short time in Test cricket, the one country that has given him trouble is Australia.
Philander, in seven Tests, has taken 25 wickets at 30.24, ten runs higher compared to his career average of 20.11.
The nearest country that provides Philander “some” trouble is England, against whom he has taken 12 wickets at 23.66.
Philander isn’t the only bowler in Test cricket history that has had trouble with one “bogey” side.
Legendary Australian leg spinner Shane Warne had an awful time against India.
In his career, Warne took more than 700 wickets at an average of just over 25.
However, against India in 14 Tests he only took 43 wickets at a woeful average of more than 47, a whopping 22 runs higher than his career average.
But the one key difference between Philander and Warne is the strength of the batting line-ups they bowled to.
Warne bowled to world-class players who knew how to play leg spin.
Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly … the list is endless.
India’s batting line-up throughout Warne’s career was a vaunted one, especially in India.
Out of that list of players, Tendulkar holds the record for most Test runs with 15,921, Dravid has in excess of 13,000 runs, while others like Sehwag and Laxman have more than 8000 runs.
In comparison, Philander caught the back end of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey’s time in the baggy green.
Both players were past their best.
In the past two series, Philander has bowled against batsmen who many would questioned are not up to Test standard.
Players like Ed Cowan, Marsh, Rob Quiney and Alex Doolan just to name a few.
Those four batsmen have struggled to reach a first class batting average of well over 40.
Cowan has the best average out of that quartet with 40.15
Australia’s current top six of Chris Rogers, Warner, Doolan, Michael Clarke, Smith and Shane Watson is not exactly world class.
With only three players averaging over 40, this author would probably rate the top six around five out of ten.
And that is being nice to Australia’s top order.
So if Philander had difficulty with Australia’s current batting line-up, which at times can be fragile and immune to a collapses at any time, imagine how he would have gone against Australia eight or nine years ago?
He would have faced Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ponting, Damien Martyn, Clarke, Hussey, and Adam Gilchrist.
They were all averaging around the late forties to well over fifty.
Philander looks like a bowler who needs favourable pitch and weather conditions which allow him to move the ball both ways and also attack the stumps.
To be a champion bowler you need to be successful anywhere, any time and in any conditions.
Having said that Philander was up against an opener like Warner, who does put pressure back on the bowlers, and Clarke, with his intensity of aggressive stroke play and quick scoring.
Many other openers in world cricket don’t possess this talent, hence Philander has been successful against other countries.
Can Philander fight back against Australia in future series?
Absolutely.
He just needs to work out different strategies and bowling plans in order to be successful.
But as a cricket fan, when a bowler takes over 100 wickets and averages less then 20 in 20 Tests, you expect something better, especially against Australia’s average batting line-up.
Deep Thinker
Guest
There is a bit of a contradiction in this article. On the one hand, you say 20 odd tests is not a big sample size to judge Philander's career, yet you are judging his career against Australia when he has played only 7 tests against them! (a smaller sample size). In any case, an average of 30 over 7 tests is not disastrous.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
It's not just 1 series for Philander. His other series where he averaged over 40? Against Australia in Australia. His only success against us was in his first series, where the pitches were very, very helpful to the bowlers. Of course, you are right. Philander took more wickets at a better average than Morkel. Philander is not the #1 or #2 bowler in the world. In that sense he is overrated. He is a skillful bowler capable of controlling most batmen and exploiting conditions masterfully. He got to debut as a seasoned professional, offering him the same leg up that Mike Hussey got. Hussey got to average 80 at the start of his career, and Philander gets to average 18 at the start of his. A few tours of the UAE, India and Sri Lanka (not to mention Australia) should bring that up to a more normal 24-25 over time. Morne Morkel is the most overrated bowler at the moment. He's a white Ishant Sharma.
SteveOL
Roar Pro
Glenn McGrath managed.
Pfitzy
Guest
Phatlander is as overrated as they come. Without Steyn keeping the pressure on at one end, and a big first innings total to defend, he is nothing. Maybe his first strategy should be to lose some weight and actually get fit
AussieinExile
Guest
He's got real ticker after watching him bat courageously against Mitch but seriously an opening bowler at 130-135k's is not going to cut it against the best players.
Robbo
Guest
Yes, he is! Not one ball he bowled to Clarke would of hit the stumps. Holding was going nuts in the com box!
SteveOL
Roar Pro
You're saying he bowled every single ball at Mick's throat. Of course he didn't. He's not that stupid.
TheTruth
Guest
ummm..cause he didn't pitch it up.....
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
It was a great battle because he didn't take a wicket. It would have been brilliant bowling if he'd been clever enough to get the wicket. Morne is a constant disappointment to me, I like seeing proper quicks which he is, who doesn't but he never seems to really get worked up. Even Johnson gets a bit enraged on-field these days and he's ridiculously mild-mannered off the pitch.
jamesb
Guest
"One poor series does not make Philander over rated. To suggest so with his record would be silly." Against Australia in Australia, 2012 Two tests, four wickets @ 49.75 And in this recent series , three tests, seven wickets @ 51.71 But to be fair to Philander, in the 2011 series in SA, he got 14 wickets @ 13.92 in two tests. So Philander has taken part in three test series against Australia where he had one brilliant series, while with the other two, he has been ordinary.
Vic
Guest
For a team with the "best bowling attack" they certainly struggle to get rid of the South African tail ;)
I bet you feel a lot better now that you got that off your chest, eh?
SteveOL
Roar Pro
"...if Morks had pitched it up, he would’ve got his man." Why didn't he? Rubbish.
Ah, thanks for enlightening me astro, I am a bit slow on the uptake sometimes :D
Beauty of a geek brains of a bimbo(atgm)
Guest
Philander is the most overrated bowler in the world after anderson atm imo!
TheTruth
Guest
There is no reason Morkel could not be a top 5 bowlers in the world. He has all the attributes, he's aout 9ft tall, bowls 140km +...he just needs to sort out his length. As much as Clarke is lauded for his innings (and rightly so), one can't help but wonder, if Morks had pitched it up, he would've got his man. Don't think I had ever seen Clarke as rattled as he was at the beginning of that innings. A bit of the ol fast bowler red mist would help Morkel too, he comes off as a really good bloke but you want him baying for blood when he bowls.
jak
Guest
Vernon is SA's Jimmy Anderson
Brett McKay
Expert
I don't know about Vernon Philander being over-rated James, but he certainly had an off series, for sure. But I still thought he bowled better than Morne Morkel did across the three Tests. And yes, Morkel's spell against Clarke in the first innings was one of the great battles in Test Cricket in the last few years, but I think he just bowled - and bowls, if I'm honest - way too short. He reminded me of Peter Siddle in the pre-Craig McDermott days, where he has the odd good day here and there, and a lot of average days in between..
SteveOL
Roar Pro
Crazy. Absolutely crazy to say Philander is overrated. Granted he has taken the bulk of his wickets on conducive decks but give him 50 Tests and then judge. At this stage of his career you're saying that against Australia "in seven Tests, has taken 25 wickets at 30.24, ten runs higher compared to his career average of 20.11." Hmmm. I'd suggest Jimmy Anderson, who averages 36.06 against Australia and whose overall average is 30.67 from 92 Tests and is considered one of England's all-time greats, would consider 30.24 against Australia as a win. Like Anderson, Philander is a gun. Of that there is no doubt. Whether he can adapt to pitches that aren't necessarily to his liking, unlike Anderson, is what I'm keen to find out. He can adapt his game to either the Kookaburra or Duke ball, something Anderson can't, so he's already ahead there.
Francis Curro
Roar Pro
He is the number one ranked all rounder in the world now...