***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Jono]

Well played Australia, they were brilliant throughout the match - other than Day 4 (where SA fought back) - and thoroughly deserve this win.

Hate to use a cliche, but SA have some soul searching to do. Did not play to their potential at all, and whilst partly this was the case because of some great cricket by Australia, with Australia's bowling line-up, you should cross 300. Even on this wicket.

 

[Yucca]

Australia losers

Yes australia are actually losers and will always be losers in my eyes. They are the reason why we need these referals in cricket with incidents like india and brad haddin vs NZ. Even though I am a SA supporter and am sad my team lost I must say that I have no respect for Australia. They cheat many a time and here is the big one for me. I remember Ponting complained about bowdin when they lost ashes. How can someone who does so much crying support so much cheating himself? Why did his team not walk x2 when they gloved the ball to boucher? Had that of been him he would of cried like he did the ashes.

Get lost you aussies world cricket does not need you and if you conitinue to play it will end up that everything will end up being decided by the third umpire.

 

[Steulen]

Interesting to see how the Saffies bounce back next test as I think they've got real problems

Morkel (whose talent I rate very highly) was terrible except for a few unplayables here and there

Ntini looks finished and was completely flattered by his figures

Duminy has been exposed by short pitched bowling and not for the first time

They'll probably stick with the same attack but I'd certainly pick Prince

Morkel is the weakest link in that attack, surely there must be a bowler somewhere in SA better than him atm.

The comment about Ntini is basically made every single match, but he has the knack of looking poor and still getting the results.

Steyn is a wonderful bowler, but he is an out-and-out strike bowler who will go for runs if he gets it slightly wrong.

the great thing about the Australian attack, especially in the last innings, was their collective ability to keep it tight. Siddle, Hilfenhaus and McDonald strangled the Saffie batters, Johnson hit them on the head. A fine recipe for this pitch

 

[The Sean]

Yes australia are actually losers and will always be losers in my eyes. They are the reason why we need these referals in cricket with incidents like india and brad haddin vs NZ. Even though I am a SA supporter and am sad my team lost I must say that I have no respect for Australia. They cheat many a time and here is the big one for me. I remember Ponting complained about bowdin when they lost ashes. How can someone who does so much crying support so much cheating himself? Why did his team not walk x2 when they gloved the ball to boucher? Had that of been him he would of cried like he did the ashes.

Get lost you aussies world cricket does not need you and if you conitinue to play it will end up that everything will end up being decided by the third umpire.

Quality first post. I see a long and satisfying posting future ahead.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Haha, awesome first post.

Anyways, reckon Morkel just didn't force the left handers to play often enough. He was getting quite a bit of movement, but when he started it where he did, it wasn't going to affect anyone unless he tried to bring it back in.

 

[The Sean]

Fantastic win, so happy right now. To win the first Test of the series away from home with so much inexperience makes this out and out our best win in the past couple of years.

Agree with this. I don't mind admitting that I gave us little-to-no chance to win this one and I'm made up to be proven wrong. Outstanding effort by the boys, hopefully they can keep the momentum going now.

 

[Yucca]

Funny or not those were shocking moments, There is no way that anyone who knows anything about cricket can say that as a batsman you would not know that you gloved the ball (that hard) to the keeper. (x2). SA lost the game. Australia did not win it. They are going to lose the ashes too. Their top 3 is so brittle of late and England will gobble them up. But first it will be SA turn.

 

[Steulen]

Funny or not those were shocking moments, There is no way that anyone who knows anything about cricket can say that as a batsman you would not know that you gloved the ball (that hard) to the keeper. (x2). SA lost the game. Australia did not win it. They are going to lose the ashes too. Their top 3 is so brittle of late and England will gobble them up. But first it will be SA turn.

Mork duplicate account imo.

 

[Yucca]

Morkel is deadly on teh day. He may not be the best but he is good enough for the weak aus batting. Its not often that a team can be so lucky wit their tale. I think Aus and johnson and Haddin have had enough luck now and have escaped out of jail for teh last time this series. We showed that 9 wickets can fall for 80 runs in the ausie order and it was not even good bowling unliek when SA batted and the ball was swining everywhere. Whats more is the aussies must be a real bad team considering they thought they needed 500 to feel safe. It says a lot about how highly regarded SA batting is. I would not back Aus to even chase 300 on andy pitch on the 5th day. Not with a SA pace attack.

 

[Ikki]

Morkel is deadly on teh day. He may not be the best but he is good enough for the weak aus batting. Its not often that a team can be so lucky wit their tale. I think Aus and johnson and Haddin have had enough luck now and have escaped out of jail for teh last time this series. We showed that 9 wickets can fall for 80 runs in the ausie order and it was not even good bowling unliek when SA batted and the ball was swining everywhere. Whats more is the aussies must be a real bad team considering they thought they needed 500 to feel safe. It says a lot about how highly regarded SA batting is. I would not back Aus to even chase 300 on andy pitch on the 5th day. Not with a SA pace attack.

 

[jondavluc]

Morkel is deadly on teh day. He may not be the best but he is good enough for the weak aus batting. Its not often that a team can be so lucky wit their tale. I think Aus and johnson and Haddin have had enough luck now and have escaped out of jail for teh last time this series. We showed that 9 wickets can fall for 80 runs in the ausie order and it was not even good bowling unliek when SA batted and the ball was swining everywhere. Whats more is the aussies must be a real bad team considering they thought they needed 500 to feel safe. It says a lot about how highly regarded SA batting is. I would not back Aus to even chase 300 on andy pitch on the 5th day. Not with a SA pace attack.

Keep up these thought provoking posts I'm sure that most mods will see to it you never get banned.

 

[Uppercut]

Disagree.

Defense of Ponting is pretty reasonable in terms of this match given the end justifying the means, but I still definitely think enforcing the follow-on was the option. He was always likely to win with a first innings lead of 250, but he gave a few percentage points away by not bowling when conditions suited. Agree to disagree indeed.

But you really don't think bowling Hussey and Clarke after lunch on the fourth day of the final test was a bad decision?

 

[silentstriker]

Hmm, IF Aussies take the series, the top three sides right now vs each other:

Australia:

Won at home vs. India, lost away vs. India
Lost at home vs. SA, won away vs. SA

2-2

South Africa

Won at home vs. India, drew away vs. India
Lost at home vs. Australia, won away vs. Australia

2-1-1

India

Won at home vs. Australia, lost away vs. Australia
Drew at home vs. SA, lost away vs. SA

So it'd be 1) SA, 2) Australia, 3) India. Although, I'm not sure I buy that. I think it'd really be a tossup between SA and Australia right now, if Aussies win. I know SA drew in India while Aussies lost, but I bet if we had the same pitches for SA that we had for Australia, their record here would be equivalent. And of course, India is a better team than it was last time in SA. And I'd love to play Australia again. If SA win this series, they'd be clearly number one though, obviously. But a tossup between SA/Australia if Aussies win, with the other being clear #2.

If Aussies lose in SA though, Australia would have lost both home and away to SA, and away to India, so they would be the #3 side IMO, with SA #1 and India #2.

 

[Uppercut]

Hmm, indeed. You kinda have to still give it to South Africa on results but i don't think they have the best team. I think India do.

 

[Evermind]

Hmm, indeed. You kinda have to still give it to South Africa on results but i don't think they have the best team. I think India do.

Results solely determine which team is best and which isn't, so this is a bit circular.

I know what you're trying to say but I don't give a rat's ass about India's batsman's "stats". Let them win an away series in Australia or SA, and then we'll talk. Hell, let's just see how they fare in NZ.

 

[Uppercut]

Results solely determine which team is best and which isn't, so this is a bit circular.

I know what you're trying to say but I don't give a rat's ass about India's batsman's "stats". Let them win an away series in Australia or SA, and then we'll talk. Hell, let's just see how they fare in NZ.

No, i don't agree, I wasn't even thinking about India's stats. Truth be told, their bowling figures don't even measure up especially well. When I say i think India are the best team around now, I mean that if a theoretical tri-series was to be played next week, I'd back India to win it. There's no weak link in their side, bar the third pacer when they choose to play one.

 

[Prince EWS]

There's no weak link in their side

Yuvraj?

 

[Uppercut]

Yuvraj?

Hmm, yeah okay I suppose he's a weak link, but I was more referring to specific components of their side. Yuvraj isn't much use, but Tendulkar and Laxman make up a considerable difference so you couldn't say their middle order's much worse than Australia's or South Africa's on the whole. The other weakness you could pinpoint is the absence of an all-rounder, but you don't actually need one.

 

[oitoitoi]

Australia:

Won at home vs. India

B]India[/B]

lost away vs. Australia

Not that an Aussie fan would care but I don't think any India fan will ever recognise that series victory!

I think's it's worth bearing in mind that this Aussie bowling attack bowled as well as it could while the Saffies were well, well below par. The Australian team just has too many holes in it for my liking, these were the best possible conditions for this attack, on a flatter track or in the subcontinent I have serious reservations over their ability to take 20 wickets. I anticipate at least 2 draws in this Ashes series as both sides bowling attacks are shown up on good batting surfaces. In India Australia didn't look anything like winning a test, this 4 man pace attack will rarely work. The Indians and SA have designed their attacks to take wickets on flat pitches and I'd back them both to outperform Australia in all conditions, especially India. That said Australia's batting and fielding will still make them a very tough side to beat and credit to them for a fantastic performance in this test to catch the Saffies napping.

Personally I think it's a shoot off between SA and India with Australia a very competitive third.

 

[aussie]

Peter Siddle is officially my favourite bowler in the world ATM, loved his aggression in this test.