Over The Top
Australia: A. Finch lbw b Ngidi 5, T. Head c de Kock b Steyn 1, D. Short c du Plessis b Steyn 0, C. Lynn c de Kock b Phehlukwayo 15, A. Carey c de Kock b Imran Tahir 33, G. Maxwell c Klaasen b Phehlukwayo 11, M. Stoinis c Klaasen b Phehlukwayo 14, P. Cummins run out ( Miller) 12, N. Coulter- Nile c Klaasen b Ngidi 34, M. Starc lbw b Imran Tahir 12, J. Hazlewood ( not out) 6. Extras ( b2, lb4, w3) 9. Total ( in 38.1 overs) 152.
FoW: 1- 4, 2- 4, 3- 8, 4- 36, 548, 6- 66, 7- 89, 8- 107, 9- 140. Bowling: Steyn 7- 1- 18- 2, Ngidi 8.1- 3- 26- 2, Rabada 80- 30- 0, Phehlukwayo 6- 033- 3, Imran Tahir 9- 0- 39- 2. South Africa: Quinton de Kock c Hazlewood b Coulter- Nile 47, Reeza Hendricks c Lynn b Stoinis 44, Aiden Markram b Stoinis 36, Faf du Plessis ( not out) 10, Heinrich Klaasen c Finch b Stoinis 2, David Miller ( not out) 2. Extras ( b1, lb4, w7) 12. Total ( for four wickets in 29.2 overs) 153.
FoW: 1- 94 ( De Kock), 2- 122 ( Hendricks), 3- 143 ( Markram), 4- 151 ( Klassen) Bowling: Hazlewood 8- 241- 0, Coulter- Nile 3- 0- 26- 1, Starc 8- 0- 47- 0, Cummins 62- 18- 0, Stoinis 4.2- 1- 16- 3.
Two legendary overseas cricketers on speaking assignments in India last week have predicted victory for Virat Kohli’s team in the impending series against Australia.
In his Jagmohan Dalmiya Memorial Lecture, Graeme Smith, former South Africa captain, said that if India have learnt their lessons well this year, they could put Australia under very serious pressure.
Jeff Thomson, dreaded former Australian fast bowler never known to pull his punches was even more emphatic. He expects India to “steamroll’’ over his country in the four- Test rubber that starts in December.
This should be music to Indian cricket fans, and also lift the spirit of Kohli & Co. In 60 years of bilateral contests versus Australia, India have never won Test a series Down Under. This is one frontier that still remains unconquered.
What prompts Smith and Thomson to believe India can break through this time?
There are two major factors, in my opinion. One, the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner who are still serving out their oneyear ban for ball tampering earlier this year against South Africa, and second India’s quality pace attack.
Smith and Warner have been Australia best batsmen and most prolific run getters in the past 5- 6 years and their not playing is a big blow, as is evident from how the team has suffered in the past 8- 9 months.
In their absence, Australia’s batting has looked shallow and highly vulnerable. A string of players — old and new — have been tried out, but the results have been far from gratifying. As Australian cricket underwent a soulsearching review of its structure and culture in the past month, calls were made from some quarters that the ban on Smith and Warner, considering the team’s recent travails, should be reduced to allow them to play against India.
This was resisted by Cricket Australia, and rightly so. The decision to ban these two was based not just on the laws of the game, though that became the actionable point. Smith and Warner for moral debasement of Australia’s culture and pride.
This lofty position would have been destroyed by pardoning the two batsmen