Australia: Heading For a Finish

It is always difficult to make a comeback. If anything, it is a rare victory celebrated if that were to happen. The interesting part of this game is that it is still tough to predict.

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After the mayhem that saw five wickets go down in the span of twenty balls in an inspired burst of impressive fast bowling from Mitchell Johnson, South Africa had little to build with on day three. Predictably then that they conceded a ninety-seven run lead.

But it did not always seem the case. In fact as Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers were building their partnership, Australia did not know where the next South African wicket would come from, let alone five in the half hour before the end of the day’s play on the second day.

WACA, Perth was expected to be a fast bowler’s paradise. Johnson pulled off one of the most magnificent spells for Australia in recent times, perhaps the best since the retirement of Glenn McGrath, much like Jason Krezja’s in the fourth Test against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy since Shane Warne’s retirement.

But it was not the only piece of brilliance that proved to be South Africa’s undoing. If anything, they will look back on this Test, irrespective of the result, and realize that despite the terrific start given by Makhaya Ntini and aided by Dale Steyn, South Africa failed to nail Australia, especially the tailenders who ran riot. That their contribution was as significant as nearly seventy-five runs, it has had a telling effect on the lead eventually conceded to Australia.

With a lead of such proposition and three days of the Test match still left, South Africa knew they had a battle on their hands when the third day dawned. While they could not reduce the margin of deficit, they had to pull another bowling round of magnificence to have any say in the Test.

South Africa did manage to reduce Australia to four for eighty-eight but Australia managed to fight their way right through the day. Even when runs were not flowing freely off the bat, the fact that Australia managed to lengthen the interval between wickets allowed them to extend that lead to beyond 300. Another niggling partnership at the end of the day’s play that involved Brad Haddin has meant South Africa have not been able to wrap up the lower order fast enough, as Australia still pretty on 322 with three wickets still in hand.

South Africa are perhaps thinking back to the Chennai Test where India pulled off the unbelievable to put it past England. They will certainly need the inspiration and Australia appear to have found their game despite South Africa’s inspired start on the first day. The Test is shaping up for glory; but whose will it be?