Australian decline shocks nation used to winning
The end of an era? Undoubtedly. After 15 years at the top of world cricket Australia is finding out the hard way what life as an ordinary cricket team is like. South Africa's unassailable 2-0 lead in the current series has been treated with dismay over here along with an acknowledgement that Graeme Smith's team are clearly the better side.
The contrast in the two teams is very apparent. South Africa's highly motivated cricketers stick to what they know. Their aggressive, disciplined bowling unit has made life uncomfortable for the Australian batsmen intent on expressing themselves and carrying the game forward. Such relentless pressure forces mistakes, much as the England team achieved in 2005, and the number of Australian batters who have got themselves out to soft dismissals is extremely high. Having 5 bowlers has been a key factor in the South African's success with Dale Steyn's zippy brilliance leading the way. Allied to the bustle of Makhaya Ntini, the bounce of Morne Morkel and the more than useful wickets supplied by No.4 batsman Jacques Kallis, it has made their bowling unit a formidable proposition. Even Paul Harris, belittled by many during the England tour, has winkled out top order Aussie batters (including Ricky Ponting twice) in addition to scoring runs during South Africa's amazing first innings at the MCG.
The South African slip cordon is peerless in world cricket with Smith, Kallis and the sensastional AB (Absolutely Brilliant as Mark Nicholas calls him) De Villiers gobbling every catch that comes their way. Their batting has a markedly different style to the Australians in that they bat in a more old fashioned manner, seeking to wear their opponents' attack down and this has been easier than in days gone by since with no Shane Warne to call upon, Ricky Ponting's four man unit has looked decidely toothless at times. The happy knack that winning teams have of introducing new players to a successful team environment has seen the emergence of JP Duminy as a player of real class and composure. With Hashim Amla's extraordinary improvement at No.3 the South African batting now looks extremely powerful.
The fallout within Australian cricket has already begun. Ian Healy, commentating on Channel 9 yesterday said 'We need to create a culture of enthusiasm in the team...there's clearly something wrong within the camp.' Ian Chappell echoed Healy's sentiments and was even more stinging in his critcism: 'This policy of picking 28 year olds to make their debut for Australia has been shown to be a complete nonsense.'
When results go against you the speed at which your friends start to change their views can be swift. The Aussie selectors have incurred the cricketing public's wrath with allegations of too much chopping and changing, picking injured players (witness Andrew Symonds' laboured efforts in the MCG match), and an unwillingness to drop the horribly out of form Matthew Hayden. In the 2nd test alone, Australian fans watched South African batsmen bowled off no balls, crucial catches dropped, Mike Hussey allowing a skied ball to drop behind him, listless fielding, uninspired captaincy and balls hitting the helmet placed behind Brad Haddin resulting in 5 penalty runs. England fans of old will be familiar with the plotline. It never rains but it pours....
Change is in the air for the next test as Brett Lee faces 2 months out after surgery for a stress fracture of the ankle and allrounder Shane Watson, a shoe in for the Sydney match, was ruled out with a stress fracture of the back. Brett Lee's travails are symptomatic of the current malaise affecting the Australians and his personal problems have been magnified by a series bowling analysis that reads 70 Overs, 6 Maidens, 1 for 249. Lee is respected as a valiant cricketer and decent bloke by cricket lovers all over the world. His return, at the age of 33, may see a different bowler no longer capable of producing the searing pace for which he is well known. Andrew Symonds is also out for Sydney with a knee issue and he too turns 34 in 2009. A 3-0 series whitewash, unthinkable only 2 weeks ago, is now a realistic possibility, some would say probability, for the beleaguered Aussies.
For South Africa, with a young, energetic side, the title of world test champions will be theirs if they can win in Sydney next week. England, having pushed Graeme Smith's side close this year, will be watching, and waiting, for the Ashes which are now just 6 months away.
Happy New Year to all,
Wello in West Australia
