Kingsmead, Durban, March 2, 2018 : South African faces are forlorn. Aussies are chuffed and why wouldn't they be? They look set to win this first test barring a miracle from Proteas. They took a lead of 189 runs on a track which is already getting tougher to bat on.
Australia sit in this comfortable position because of one man: The pace machine, the kryptonite to the tailenders, arguably the best fast bowler in the world right now: Mitchell Starc.
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South Africa are 158-6 with De Kock cleaned up by a beauty from GOAT (Lyon, in case you don't know how his teammates address him). Philander has come out to bat with AB looking as breezy as ever. South Africa are 193 runs behind and still hopeful to restrict the deficit to a minimum. They are aware that last three wickets of Aussies managed 100 runs to give them a respectable total of 351. Philander certainly is no mug with the bat and 7 fifties in test cricket reflect that. With Maharaj and Rabada yet to come and with useful partnerships with AB, their dream was not far off.
This will all turn out to be fantasy as Mitchell Starc is brought on to bowl with a ball which is 45 overs old. Three slips and a gully in place all licking their lips as Starcy starts on his way.
Starc to Philander: over 49.3 - A pure jaffa! Starc was going around the wicket to the right-hander and the ball angling towards philander pitched on middle, trying to crash onto leg stump. Philander, in my opinion, did what he should have done, tried to work it towards mid-wicket to grab a couple. It was a correct stroke.
Except he had no clue about the prowess of Starc with old ball when it reverses. The ball, changed its trajectory as if it was being controlled by a remote from Starc and straightened. It got a nick and Paine did the rest. Philander had not got a cat in a hell's idea how he got dismissed. He did everything right there. And yet he was walking back.
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Mitchell Starc seems to be getting better daily. He is currently 28 and at the perfect age for a fast bowler. At the right side of 30, the body of a fast bowler starts taking shape to generate enormous pace along with experience and maturity. He has already picked up 170 test wickets in 40 tests at a whopping strike rate of 49. Among all Australian bowlers with at least 150 test wickets, his strike rate is easily the best. (Johnson comes next at 51.1) Yesterday was the 9th instance of him taking 5 wickets in a test innings. His white ball stats are unparalleled. He was easily the man of the series in 2015 world cup with 23 wickets at a stunning average of 9! With the bat, he can put out a few lusty blows (like he did yesterday 35 off 25). His highest test score being 99. He is a complete cricketer, someone you would want every day of the week in your team. You will know what he will do. You can't survive it even after knowing. You know what is coming. He will do it anyway. Pure Fear. Full, fast, straight. Whether you try to hit with bat or pad, you are gone.
Starc often takes the pitch out of the equation. With the pitch assistance, he can destroy an entire tribe of cricketers. He is a fast bowling freak.
The only silver lining when you get out to Starc in such mood is: The pain is brief. It is over as soon as it begins. And you will get sympathy from everyone as they know deep in their hearts that they couldn't have done much better either.
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Australian pace attack is a pure package. If the toe-breaker Starc doesn't get you, the inexhaustible Josh Hazlewood will. If they both don't, then the fierce Pat Cummins will. If you manage to avoid getting bruises and survive (without hitting yourself with bat in frustration), then the GOAT will. With Ashes being won at home, where Australia are traditionally indomitable, it was easy to brush their success off to home advantage and all that. But, here in Kingsmead, they showed why they are such a good bowling side. They were relentless throughout. In post-day presentation, even the great AB said, "They seemed to know what they were doing and they executed it to perfection."
Good teams often do that.
The obsession of Aussies with pace is not new. Starting with Lillee, Thomson, Lee, Johnson, Tait and now Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Stanlake, Coulter-nile, Pattinson. They seem to have a whole army of fast bowlers ready to fire at word go. Jarrod Kimber has written an excellent article over it.
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Keshav Maharaj is out to bat in the middle with South Africa in deep trouble. The resistance lasts for 5 balls when Josh Hazlewood put him out of his misery. Pitched outside the off, nipping back in to hit the top of offstump. The dream wicket for any fast bowler.
Out comes Kagiso Rabada. His averages don't reflect it. But, he can be a stubborn pain the a** for the fielding side. On numerous occasions, he has frustrated the hell out of captains as a night-watchman. His dead-bat technique is often reliable. He took the single off the last ball of Hazlewood to get off the mark and retain the strike. Now, He was going to be up against Mitchell Starc. This was going to be some show.
I was cursing at home. Why in God's name will you take single off the last ball when the batting-freak is batting so well at the other end? For Christ' sake, Give that guy some brain. I was angry and cursing at Rabada. It was a no-brainer. AB should have taken as much strike as possible and try to push proteas towards 200.
Starcy bowled a half-volley outside the off-stump to Rabada and Rabada put it away towards covers for a couple. I was again cursing why did he come back for the second when there was a chance to get off the strike. Starc had set him up so beautifully. It was like a predator setting eye on a prey. I knew that a full, fast, straight delivery was coming. Shaun Pollock mentioned it on air that Rabada should be ready for a straight delivery. It was such common sense. Starc did as was expected. Full, fast, straight onto the middle-stump.
Rabada still managed to avoid hitting the ball with the bat. There was no going back from there. Umpire raised the fingers. Rabada opted to go for a review, more in hope than in expectation. He knew that he had no chance. AB knew he had no chance. Umpire knew he had no chance. Starc knew he had no chance. I, sitting at my home knew that he had no chance. Everyone in the universe knew that he had no chance. Third umpire did the rest.
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Morne Morkel was the last man out there. Starc had four balls left. Now, AB was realizing his mistake of not retaining the strike when he had the chance. The question now was : how on earth was Morne Morkel going to survive those 4 missiles by Starc? First ball he faced was a wild swing and a miss. All the ooh-aahs from the Aussies slip-cordon followed. Next ball, Starcy cleaned him up with another beauty. The ball pitched on leg-stump and first hit the pads before crashing onto stumps. AB was left stranded on 71. South Africa had lost their last 5 wickets for 12 runs, while Australian 8,9,10 milked more than 100 runs. Tells you about the difference Starc makes on a cricket field. This was high-class fast bowling at his best. (Not to forget the contribution of GOAT when he got 2 wickets in his first over)
-------------------------------------------
For South Africa, this should be an eye-opener of what is about to follow for the next 3 weeks. If they were thinking of their first home test series win against Australia, they better think again. This young, confident Australian team looks so hard to stop. Let's all wait and watch what unfolds further.
Australia sit in this comfortable position because of one man: The pace machine, the kryptonite to the tailenders, arguably the best fast bowler in the world right now: Mitchell Starc.
-----------------------------------------------
South Africa are 158-6 with De Kock cleaned up by a beauty from GOAT (Lyon, in case you don't know how his teammates address him). Philander has come out to bat with AB looking as breezy as ever. South Africa are 193 runs behind and still hopeful to restrict the deficit to a minimum. They are aware that last three wickets of Aussies managed 100 runs to give them a respectable total of 351. Philander certainly is no mug with the bat and 7 fifties in test cricket reflect that. With Maharaj and Rabada yet to come and with useful partnerships with AB, their dream was not far off.
This will all turn out to be fantasy as Mitchell Starc is brought on to bowl with a ball which is 45 overs old. Three slips and a gully in place all licking their lips as Starcy starts on his way.
Starc to Philander: over 49.3 - A pure jaffa! Starc was going around the wicket to the right-hander and the ball angling towards philander pitched on middle, trying to crash onto leg stump. Philander, in my opinion, did what he should have done, tried to work it towards mid-wicket to grab a couple. It was a correct stroke.
Except he had no clue about the prowess of Starc with old ball when it reverses. The ball, changed its trajectory as if it was being controlled by a remote from Starc and straightened. It got a nick and Paine did the rest. Philander had not got a cat in a hell's idea how he got dismissed. He did everything right there. And yet he was walking back.
-----------------------------------------------
Mitchell Starc seems to be getting better daily. He is currently 28 and at the perfect age for a fast bowler. At the right side of 30, the body of a fast bowler starts taking shape to generate enormous pace along with experience and maturity. He has already picked up 170 test wickets in 40 tests at a whopping strike rate of 49. Among all Australian bowlers with at least 150 test wickets, his strike rate is easily the best. (Johnson comes next at 51.1) Yesterday was the 9th instance of him taking 5 wickets in a test innings. His white ball stats are unparalleled. He was easily the man of the series in 2015 world cup with 23 wickets at a stunning average of 9! With the bat, he can put out a few lusty blows (like he did yesterday 35 off 25). His highest test score being 99. He is a complete cricketer, someone you would want every day of the week in your team. You will know what he will do. You can't survive it even after knowing. You know what is coming. He will do it anyway. Pure Fear. Full, fast, straight. Whether you try to hit with bat or pad, you are gone.
Starc often takes the pitch out of the equation. With the pitch assistance, he can destroy an entire tribe of cricketers. He is a fast bowling freak.
The only silver lining when you get out to Starc in such mood is: The pain is brief. It is over as soon as it begins. And you will get sympathy from everyone as they know deep in their hearts that they couldn't have done much better either.
---------------------------------------------
Australian pace attack is a pure package. If the toe-breaker Starc doesn't get you, the inexhaustible Josh Hazlewood will. If they both don't, then the fierce Pat Cummins will. If you manage to avoid getting bruises and survive (without hitting yourself with bat in frustration), then the GOAT will. With Ashes being won at home, where Australia are traditionally indomitable, it was easy to brush their success off to home advantage and all that. But, here in Kingsmead, they showed why they are such a good bowling side. They were relentless throughout. In post-day presentation, even the great AB said, "They seemed to know what they were doing and they executed it to perfection."
Good teams often do that.
The obsession of Aussies with pace is not new. Starting with Lillee, Thomson, Lee, Johnson, Tait and now Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Stanlake, Coulter-nile, Pattinson. They seem to have a whole army of fast bowlers ready to fire at word go. Jarrod Kimber has written an excellent article over it.
-----------------------------------------------
Keshav Maharaj is out to bat in the middle with South Africa in deep trouble. The resistance lasts for 5 balls when Josh Hazlewood put him out of his misery. Pitched outside the off, nipping back in to hit the top of offstump. The dream wicket for any fast bowler.
Out comes Kagiso Rabada. His averages don't reflect it. But, he can be a stubborn pain the a** for the fielding side. On numerous occasions, he has frustrated the hell out of captains as a night-watchman. His dead-bat technique is often reliable. He took the single off the last ball of Hazlewood to get off the mark and retain the strike. Now, He was going to be up against Mitchell Starc. This was going to be some show.
I was cursing at home. Why in God's name will you take single off the last ball when the batting-freak is batting so well at the other end? For Christ' sake, Give that guy some brain. I was angry and cursing at Rabada. It was a no-brainer. AB should have taken as much strike as possible and try to push proteas towards 200.
Starcy bowled a half-volley outside the off-stump to Rabada and Rabada put it away towards covers for a couple. I was again cursing why did he come back for the second when there was a chance to get off the strike. Starc had set him up so beautifully. It was like a predator setting eye on a prey. I knew that a full, fast, straight delivery was coming. Shaun Pollock mentioned it on air that Rabada should be ready for a straight delivery. It was such common sense. Starc did as was expected. Full, fast, straight onto the middle-stump.
Rabada still managed to avoid hitting the ball with the bat. There was no going back from there. Umpire raised the fingers. Rabada opted to go for a review, more in hope than in expectation. He knew that he had no chance. AB knew he had no chance. Umpire knew he had no chance. Starc knew he had no chance. I, sitting at my home knew that he had no chance. Everyone in the universe knew that he had no chance. Third umpire did the rest.
--------------------------------------------
Morne Morkel was the last man out there. Starc had four balls left. Now, AB was realizing his mistake of not retaining the strike when he had the chance. The question now was : how on earth was Morne Morkel going to survive those 4 missiles by Starc? First ball he faced was a wild swing and a miss. All the ooh-aahs from the Aussies slip-cordon followed. Next ball, Starcy cleaned him up with another beauty. The ball pitched on leg-stump and first hit the pads before crashing onto stumps. AB was left stranded on 71. South Africa had lost their last 5 wickets for 12 runs, while Australian 8,9,10 milked more than 100 runs. Tells you about the difference Starc makes on a cricket field. This was high-class fast bowling at his best. (Not to forget the contribution of GOAT when he got 2 wickets in his first over)
-------------------------------------------
For South Africa, this should be an eye-opener of what is about to follow for the next 3 weeks. If they were thinking of their first home test series win against Australia, they better think again. This young, confident Australian team looks so hard to stop. Let's all wait and watch what unfolds further.
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