Having stayed up all night to watch the final episode of a long mini-series that spanned five months, it was fitting that the final ODI in Johannesburg stuck to the overall script. A see-saw battle, two evenly matched teams, constant momentum shifts and well-set batsman giving their wicket away to trigger mini-collapses.
It was pretty much the tale of the summer. The Tests finished deadlocked at three apiece whilst SA were clearly the better ODI team but of the 20 games these sides played against each other since December (Tests, ODI and T20), nearly all of them had a similar script. It was characterised by batsmen who threw away good starts and precipitated momentum shifts that ultimately swung games. Ironically, it was also a period where the most unlikely batsmen also changed the entire course of a game with some stunning hitting. Duminy, Steyn, De Villiers and Albie Morkel featured for South Africa. Johnson and Hughes stood out for Australia in that regard.
For Australia, I suspect these last few months have raised some questions that have no immediate answers. On the positive side, it looks like the search for Hayden’s replacement is over, the fearless Hughes nailing that door shut behind him. Johnson is on the cusp of becoming a genuine Test all-rounder (although surprisingly, his batting in ODI cricket is abject) and Haddin seems to have finally settled into the void left by Gilchrist. With Lee and Stuart Clarke still to return, there’s plenty of blue sky in that respect.
On the other hand, some things are still as clear as mud. Australia’s ODI game plan is the first thing that comes to mind. Most of the summer, even against NZ, they were tactically outplayed. The batting powerplay rarely worked and the middle period of their innings, batting and bowling, was consistently the period when SA (and NZ) took the game away from Australia. Their poor batting against Botha, van der Merve and Vettori in those middle overs must be a worrying sign for when they come up against even better spinners in spin-friendly conditions. Their bowling, for so long controlled in that crucial 15-40 over stage through the likes of Warne, Hogg, Symonds etc, looked utterly impotent this season. Both SA and NZ plundered at will, setting themselves up for their powerplay whereas Australia kept losing wickets to the spinners and delaying the powerplay until it had to be taken with the tail. This issue with the powerplay is one area that Australia cannot afford to keep messing up, such is the game-changing impact it has on the modern game.
To make matters worse, Ponting is no longer the all-conquering player he once was. His pedigree or greatness cannot be doubted but hard hands, playing in front of his body against Botha and chipping to midwicket or back to the bowler was an all-too-common sight during the ODI’s. It is a measure of how much Australia relies on him that their worst recent period in recent ODI's has coincided with his form slump in coloured clothing. Michael Hussey too now knows what it’s like to be back with the mere mortals and he may well find that his sibling rivalry is over for the time being. Despite numerous chances, David Hussey may just be one step out of his depth at this level. His unusual technique, lacking in footwork and relying on fast hands may not suit the higher demands of international cricket whilst his modest off-spin was dismissed over midwicket by most good batsmen.
Australia could justifiably argue of course that they were slightly the better team in Test cricket but that argument would need to be based on the theory that they were on top for 5 of the 6 Tests and if not for some stunning comebacks engineered by De Villiers, Duminy, Steyn and others, the Tests could have finished at 5-1. The reality though is that SA not only retrieved perilous situations but counter-attacked with enough force to go on and win these games. I think the final result in all three forms of the game probably tells the true story. One team is going through a rebuilding phase and looking for new talent whilst the other team is possibly nearing the top of their game with a few players like De Villiers, Steyn, Duminy and Botha very much at the zenith of their form and talent. Kallis’ consistency was a major rock for the Africans to lean on but the big scores never really materialised, often caught in the slips or gully, driving away from his body when he looked totally at ease.
The last game at the Wanderers was typical of the entire season really. One team storms out of the blocks, the other team doesn’t just peg them back, they actually emerge as comfortable favourites before yet another twist wrenches the game violently back in the other direction. Watching the game through bleary eyes at 4 am, willing myself to stay awake, the only thing I could confidently predict was that it would be unpredictable. And so it came to pass....
Wouldn’t it be good to see a three-cornered contest next summer with India, South Africa and Australia all playing each other at home and away in all forms of the game? My gut feeling is that India’s overall balance will probably see them finish on top, based on current form. They seem to have a squad that can cover all conditions with a deft mix of power, experience, youth and hunger. It's a close-run thing though - what do you reckon?
A biannual contest between the top teams is a great idea and one that many people have desired for a long time.
As to who would finish on top, I think with each team at their strongest (i.e. all first team picks healthy) Aus would narrowly win the Test series (but not in India).
For the odi's; Aus beat Ind in Ind, and Ind beat Aus in Aus, SA beat Aus in Aus and no-one beats SA in SA...so I'd go with SA for the odi's.
And I couldn't care less about 20/20. On any given day the best team can lose to the worst team so it's no real indicator.
We're lucky to have 3 competitive teams playing exciting cricket and I think each team has a "deft mix of power, experience, youth and hunger" when you think about it. The old hands of Dravid/Sachin/VVS, Kallis/Boucher/Ntini, Ponting/Katich/Lee to guide some extraordinary young talent in Gambhir, Sharma, Duminy, de Villiers, Johnson, Siddle, FANASTIC!
Posted by: Dave at April 20, 2009 1:15 AM
For all the fuss about India being pretenders to the crown, their bowling simply isnt good enough. Sharma isn't bad in helpful conditions, and Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are very good, but beyod that, there are not the bowlers to produce sustained pressure. For India, their batting creates the pressure, but if that pressure isnt there, then there is very little that the bowlers can do to contain the opposition. Saw that in New Zealand recently. Generally though, batsmen save matches, bowlers win them and Sharma and Khan dont stack up against Steyn, Morkel, Ntini or Johnson, Lee, Tait. They have, to be fair, gone through a very good period of form lately, but not nearly sufficient to try to lay claim to being the best in the world.
Posted by: Louella at April 20, 2009 9:37 PM
I think to watch these 3 teams in home and away games would be Awesome.The 3 teams are so evenly matched I for one don't know who would win. I think maybe South Africa may just squeak through and I am only saying that because South Africa drew in India.
Posted by: Michael Jeh at April 20, 2009 11:46 PM
Hi Dave & KJH. Fair points you both make. Yes, on hindsight, my one concern about India might be the bowling attack. What's the fast bowling depth like? They did look a bit tame sometimes against a modest NZ attack but some of those pitches were flat too. Like you, I could not care less about T20 results because it is really a matter of who gets lucky on the day. I fear Australia's spin attack (and playing of spin) might be their biggest problem. It's a shame the ICC doesn't regularly arrange a Tri-Nations home and away type series although I concede the logistical difficulties.
Posted by: redneck at April 21, 2009 1:02 AM
south africa being the top ODI team is just following the trend that has been established over the last 3 world cups. starting off in 97/98 south africa took the number 1 mantle from aus heading into england 99, again just before they hosted in 03 and again just before the west indies in 2007 and the result was aus winning all three world cups!!! south africa and australia seem to peak every 4 years in ODI just at different times. south africa in the 2 years between world cups and australia going into a world cup year and the year that follows. however i dont think india has ever been stronger on the field than at present and the fact they are hosting the next world cup means that the 2011 edition could be the most intreaging and competative to date! cant wait!!!
Posted by: Abhyuday at April 21, 2009 1:54 AM
@Dave, you are right that India's fast bowling is not as strong as the other two, but I will like to see how the spinners of the other two sides bowl in India. Indians will make mincemeat of them while given the current form of Harbhajan and Mishra, both SA and Aus will struggle against them. Also, India is by far the best ODI side, no matter what standard of cricket SA and Aus have been producing. Right now, if India tour SA, I don't think its a certainty that SA will win hands down in the ODIs. They will defeat India in the tests certainly, but not in the ODIs.
Posted by: Ryan at April 28, 2009 10:43 AM
I cant believe that there has been no mention of the fact that SA lost ALL the tosses in Aus and yet one the test and ODI series. Then went on to lose all 3 coin tosses again in the tests in SA. They won their 1st toss in the 3rd ODI. If I am correct, they only won 2 out of 20 tosses! I think this speaks volumes for the performance, particulary in Aus. This is why the Aussies had the upper hand and SA had to fight back. They always had the best of the conditions. What a great state world cricket is in, SA, AUS and India scrapping to be the best. The Windies enjoying a rebirth under Gayle, Pakistan challenging Aus in the current ODIs (albeit not infront of their passionate fans) and NZ and SL both seeming to be heading in the right direction. Bring it on...
Samir Chopra lives in Brooklyn and teaches Computer Science and Philosophy at the City University of New York; his academic interests include the philosophical foundations of artificial intelligence and the politics of technology. In his third undergraduate year, he captained Mathematics in the departmental cricket competition (and lost to Chemistry in the first round). Samir played C-grade cricket in Sydney and makes guest appearances for his old club when possible (and desirable). Samir runs the blog Eye on Cricket and the cricket page at The Faster Times.
Paul Ford is a co-founder of the New Zealand cricket supporters' cult, the Beige Brigade. He was once described by a current New Zealand cricketer as "looking spastic" even mucking about with an Excalibur and a tennis ball in the backyard. Paul bowls right-armed Nathan Astlesque "nudes", his batting would make Ewen Chatfield look elegant, and he is a committed fielder. He sometimes grows a beard to hide his double chin and inhabits a periphery of cricket that Cricinfo is proud to be glimpsing through this blog.
Stephen Gelb grew up in Cape Town, a short walk from the beautiful Newlands ground. Always a better student of the game than player, his passion for cricket survived eight years as a student in Canada, where he learned to love baseball too. He lives in Johannesburg doing economic research at The EDGE Institute and teaching at Wits University.
Mike Holmans, a database consultant by profession, has spent thirty summers (and a few winters) going to the cricket. Brought up in one and working in the other, his dearest wish is for a season to end with Yorkshire winning the county championship by beating runners-up Middlesex by one wicket with five minutes to go. If it’s also a summer when England win the Ashes, so much the better.
Born in Colombo, educated at Oxford and now living in Brisbane - Michael Jeh (Fox) is a cricket lover with a global perspective on the game. An Oxford Blue who played first-class cricket, he is a Playing Member of the MCC and still plays grade cricket. His views on cricket might best be described as those of a "modern traditionalist". Michael now works closely with elite athletes in his job as a manager at Griffith University in Queensland.
Saad Shafqat takes special pride that his cricket-watching life began during the three-month interval between Javed Miandad's debut Test in Lahore and Imran Khan's 12-wicket haul at Sydney. Although a practicing neurologist based in Karachi, cricket has never been far from his activities. He has co-authored Javed Miandad’s autobiography Cutting Edge and has been a contributor to Cricinfo since 2005. His regular column Reverse Swing appears fortnightly in Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English daily.
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