South Africa has been able to come back and level the 3 test match series which now stands at 1-1 after 2 matches. South Africa won the 2nd test match played at Port Elizabeth on 4th day by 231 runs margin.
It was a good performance performance from the home team who rode on performances by Hashim Amla in batting and impressive Dale Steyn while bowling.
When I sit to find out the reasons for defeat of Australia, I found some of them:
1. Slow Wicket - Australia have always been vulnerable when cricket match takes place on low and slow wicket. Their record in Indian subcontinent is a proof of it. Lack of quality spinner after the retirement of great leg spinner Shane Warne, and inability of batsmen to play a bit late i.e. to wait a bit longer for ball to arrive on a slow wicket, are the main contributors towards bad performances on wickets that lack pace.
2. Inability of bowlers - To deliver on a wicket where no ready-made assistance is available from the pitch, fast bowlers need to show more skills and they need to show that they have more in them then extracting pace and bounce off the pitch. The reverse swing comes handy. In the past Aussie bowlers showed that they have capability to reverse swing the ball, especially on their tours to India. But in South Africa they did not manage to achieve it as much as South African bowlers did. Result - Australian bowlers found picking up 11 South African wickets a bit too difficult a task.
3. Batting Failure - Australian openers started off well in chase of 478 runs to win the test match and series after captain Graeme Smith declared bit too early for the liking of some of the cricket experts. Openers, David Warner and Chris Rogers put up opening stand of 126 runs. But they failed to carry on, which is crucial in big chases, and after that it was collapse. Shaun Marsh has developed habit of scoring ducks, something ducks won't be happy about.
4. Complacency - This is where this team is incomparable to the great Australian team of previous years. Australian cricket teams of past were known to keep down their opponents when they had them down. There was no let up. But under Michael Clarke, barring the recent Ashes series win, this has been the norm. Clarke has also failed to prove himself as a proactive captain and has often seen waiting for things to happen themselves.
5. Home run by a home team - Over the last couple of years home teams have been difficult to beat. Be it India's whitewashes in England or Australia or Australia's 4-0 loss in India, its always a home team who has had a an upper hand over the visiting team on a cricket field. Defensive captains who just don't know what to do with their wards once they got out of their comfort zone of home environment is the main reason for it.
6. Mosquito's and Sleepless nights - Once an Australia captain made an excuse when he lost a test series in India. "Throughout the series our players haven't been able to sleep properly due to mosquito bites late nights and hence they were unable to perform at their best due to lack of sleep," he said at the post match presentation. Maybe Aussies are encountering mosquito's in African Safari.
7. IPL 7 on mind - Cash rich t-20 cricket league, the Indian Premiere League (IPL) is about to take off in few month's time. More dollars will be deposited into the accounts of the players. It must be difficult for Aussie players to concentrate in a test match arena when they are about to get millions of dollars for spending just 20 and few more overs on a cricket field.
8. Johnson Mustache length - Mitchell Johnson just started to do well after he grew Mustache of certain length. An erratic bowlers suddenly found his line and length, sorry bounce, to trouble all batsmen, especially poms. But the length is important. It has happened to Shikhar Dhawan, the opening batsmen of India, as well. Both need too make sure that Mustache is of perfect length, otherwise they might loose their form which they gained by growing it.
9. Cool Killer Amla is hungry again - Over the course of last 2 series Hashim Amla was seen loosing his wicket in a strange manner. He was getting bowled out by leaving the ball, ducking the ball, and swaying away from the ball, as if ball was coming to kill him and he became so nervous that he forgot to stop it with his bat. But in Port Elizabeth Hashim Amla was reminder by someone, possibly by AB De Villiers, what a cool customer he has been over the years. He is out on the road again with his secret weapon. Watch out Australia!
10. Michael Clarke praised by Ian Chappell - Not the first time it has happened and it won't be the last time that the former Australian Captain writes a column to show that his countrymen is a better captain than the other captain and the praised captain is fallen into the well. Just a day ago Ian Chappell wrote in 'espn cricinfo' that MS Dhoni's time is over and he needs to go. He compared how Michael Clarke is better than Indan captain.
See: Will MS Dhoni resign from Indian Cricket Captaincy
One can find many reasons for Australia's humiliating loss to South Africa. Australia now needs to show that it was one off and that they are capable of making a come back just like the number 1 ranked team in ICC rankings has shown us. In the end one has to say: "Well Played South Africa!"
It was a good performance performance from the home team who rode on performances by Hashim Amla in batting and impressive Dale Steyn while bowling.
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| Dale Steyn, fastest bowling spell demolished Australia as he picked up 4 wickets for 55 runs |
When I sit to find out the reasons for defeat of Australia, I found some of them:
1. Slow Wicket - Australia have always been vulnerable when cricket match takes place on low and slow wicket. Their record in Indian subcontinent is a proof of it. Lack of quality spinner after the retirement of great leg spinner Shane Warne, and inability of batsmen to play a bit late i.e. to wait a bit longer for ball to arrive on a slow wicket, are the main contributors towards bad performances on wickets that lack pace.
2. Inability of bowlers - To deliver on a wicket where no ready-made assistance is available from the pitch, fast bowlers need to show more skills and they need to show that they have more in them then extracting pace and bounce off the pitch. The reverse swing comes handy. In the past Aussie bowlers showed that they have capability to reverse swing the ball, especially on their tours to India. But in South Africa they did not manage to achieve it as much as South African bowlers did. Result - Australian bowlers found picking up 11 South African wickets a bit too difficult a task.
3. Batting Failure - Australian openers started off well in chase of 478 runs to win the test match and series after captain Graeme Smith declared bit too early for the liking of some of the cricket experts. Openers, David Warner and Chris Rogers put up opening stand of 126 runs. But they failed to carry on, which is crucial in big chases, and after that it was collapse. Shaun Marsh has developed habit of scoring ducks, something ducks won't be happy about.
4. Complacency - This is where this team is incomparable to the great Australian team of previous years. Australian cricket teams of past were known to keep down their opponents when they had them down. There was no let up. But under Michael Clarke, barring the recent Ashes series win, this has been the norm. Clarke has also failed to prove himself as a proactive captain and has often seen waiting for things to happen themselves.
5. Home run by a home team - Over the last couple of years home teams have been difficult to beat. Be it India's whitewashes in England or Australia or Australia's 4-0 loss in India, its always a home team who has had a an upper hand over the visiting team on a cricket field. Defensive captains who just don't know what to do with their wards once they got out of their comfort zone of home environment is the main reason for it.
6. Mosquito's and Sleepless nights - Once an Australia captain made an excuse when he lost a test series in India. "Throughout the series our players haven't been able to sleep properly due to mosquito bites late nights and hence they were unable to perform at their best due to lack of sleep," he said at the post match presentation. Maybe Aussies are encountering mosquito's in African Safari.
7. IPL 7 on mind - Cash rich t-20 cricket league, the Indian Premiere League (IPL) is about to take off in few month's time. More dollars will be deposited into the accounts of the players. It must be difficult for Aussie players to concentrate in a test match arena when they are about to get millions of dollars for spending just 20 and few more overs on a cricket field.
8. Johnson Mustache length - Mitchell Johnson just started to do well after he grew Mustache of certain length. An erratic bowlers suddenly found his line and length, sorry bounce, to trouble all batsmen, especially poms. But the length is important. It has happened to Shikhar Dhawan, the opening batsmen of India, as well. Both need too make sure that Mustache is of perfect length, otherwise they might loose their form which they gained by growing it.
9. Cool Killer Amla is hungry again - Over the course of last 2 series Hashim Amla was seen loosing his wicket in a strange manner. He was getting bowled out by leaving the ball, ducking the ball, and swaying away from the ball, as if ball was coming to kill him and he became so nervous that he forgot to stop it with his bat. But in Port Elizabeth Hashim Amla was reminder by someone, possibly by AB De Villiers, what a cool customer he has been over the years. He is out on the road again with his secret weapon. Watch out Australia!
10. Michael Clarke praised by Ian Chappell - Not the first time it has happened and it won't be the last time that the former Australian Captain writes a column to show that his countrymen is a better captain than the other captain and the praised captain is fallen into the well. Just a day ago Ian Chappell wrote in 'espn cricinfo' that MS Dhoni's time is over and he needs to go. He compared how Michael Clarke is better than Indan captain.
See: Will MS Dhoni resign from Indian Cricket Captaincy
One can find many reasons for Australia's humiliating loss to South Africa. Australia now needs to show that it was one off and that they are capable of making a come back just like the number 1 ranked team in ICC rankings has shown us. In the end one has to say: "Well Played South Africa!"
