I’m still not convinced, even after beating the Proteas in their own backyard and the 5-0 Ashes whitewash, that the Australian cricket team are as good as the media is making out.
I do believe that we are playing well enough to win. We are slowly rebuilding our line-up to one where 11 names will continuously be on the team sheet.
Australia are recognised now as the most dangerous team in Test cricket, but with the rankings not really giving a great indication of the strength of nations and difference in ability, we won’t really know until we play different nations.
International cricket is as closely matched now as it ever has been. With the resurgence of countries like New Zealand and Pakistan, as well as the ever-consistent Sri Lanka and India, the Test cricket stage is very exciting.
England capitulated during the Ashes series: Jonathan Trott left after the Gabba Test and Graeme Swann retired, while Alastair Cook’s role as captain has been scrutinised and Kevin Pietersen dropped since the series ended.
The last few Tests in the series were barely worth watching and I don’t think it was doing our players any benefit in competing against a mediocre team, apart from gaining momentum as a group.
The story in South Africa was a different one. We ruffled their feathers and made them uncomfortable in their own environment.
The Proteas have been known for their ability to go about their business on the cricket field without being influenced by the other team’s mind games, sledging or type of cricket.
We were aggressive with both bat and ball, however the victory was thanks mainly to David Warner and Mitchell Johnson. We shocked them and took the game away from them in single sessions.
They were forced into making team changes and we were one step ahead when it mattered most.
Both England and South Africa are now in a phase much like the one we found ourselves in from 2007 until recently.
The past few years have seen the retirement of some of the best players of a generation: Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, and more recently Graeme Smith and Graeme Swann.
It’s time for new leaders and new teams to take the cricketing world by storm. Australia currently has the edge, but to me it feels like this is only the beginning of what looks like a very exciting future for Test cricket.
The next few years should deliver some of the most competitive series we’ve seen in a while, and even more surprises.
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