Wisden
Tour review

South Africa v Australia, 2013-14


The Australians celebrate with the series trophy, South Africa v Australia, 3rd Test, Cape Town, 5th day, March 5, 2014
The Australians celebrate with the series trophy by beating South Africa, 2-1 in the Tests © Getty Images
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Test matches (3): South Africa 1, Australia 2
Twenty20 internationals (3): South Africa 0, Australia 2

Ryan Harris took a deep breath. With a thrilling, bruising series in its dying minutes, he had been recalled to the attack for one final effort. South Africa had proved stubborn in their Cape Town fortress and, with five overs of the last 15 remaining, two wickets stood between Australia and a momentous victory. Harris's right knee, in desperate need of surgery, had locked several times during the day, and his hip, which had flared up in the first innings, was causing him discomfort too. The request from Michael Clarke for one more push through the pain was not made without empathy - Clarke was nursing a shoulder fractured by Morne Morkel's volley of bouncers on the first day, but had soldiered on to a seismic century.

Watching from the dressing-room, Graeme Smith was harbouring hopes of a draw that would maintain South Africa's five-year unbeaten Test-series record, and send him into international retirement a satisfied man. Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, his bowling spearheads, were batting grittily. Turning at his mark, Harris decided to ignore his wonky joints. He jammed in a yorker.

To his unrestrained joy, it slid under Steyn's bat - and clipped off stump. For last man Morkel, Australian coach Darren Lehmann suggested from the boundary that Harris go round the wicket. It was typical of the subtle but significant contributions Lehmann had made since assuming the role and, like many of his ideas, it paid off: Morkel's stumps were splayed second ball.

Australia's paroxysms of delight marked a victory as momentous as the home Ashes triumph a couple of months earlier, and the completion of an extraordinary Test summer. For Smith and South Africa, a mini-era of dominance was over. Now began the uncertainty. Even as the Australians were celebrating their 5-0 Ashes sweep in January, they had spoken confidently of going to South Africa and reinforcing their credentials as a team of global quality. An attack of Harris, the reborn Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon and a returning James Pattinson would be suited to the veld; in Clarke and David Warner the top order had two pillars of aggressive intent. South Africa, like England, showed signs of tailing off: the retirement of Jacques Kallis had left a gaping hole, while Smith was nearing the end. Several sharp observers predicted Australian success. All the same, the task of unseating South Africa on home soil was daunting.

It felt even more so when, on reaching their Potchefstroom base, the Australians were confronted by wretched weather that forced the cancellation of their only warm-up match. They set off instead for Johannesburg. There, it became clear that Shane Watson had been humbugged by a calf strain, which ruled him out of the first two Tests at least. Shaun Marsh, who had been scrubbed from the initial squad because of a muscle strain, was hastily reinstated. On the other hand, there was evidence - such as the late-swinging rocket that uprooted Chris Rogers's off stump during centre practice - that Johnson was still in fine rhythm.

South Africa's preparations included a team-building expedition to protect rhinos from poaching, and a practice match at the Wanderers that suggested some players were yet to shrug off a batting style suited to the domestic Twenty20 tournament which finished just before the Centurion Test - there had been no franchise-level first-class cricket since December 30. South Africa were still off balance when, more for reasons of history than the look of the pitch, Smith chose to bowl. His choice proved crucial, since Australia were happy to dictate terms, their aggressive batting ensuring the run-rate remained healthy throughout.

Marsh, showing the poise that characterised his debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, made a sublime hundred, as did the fast-maturing Steven Smith. Their double-century stand gave the Australians something to defend, which Johnson did with alacrity, and celerity, unnerving the South Africans on the pitch and off it. He had done so before, in 2008-09, but not with such venom as at Centurion, where he picked up 12 wickets. After Warner and newcomer Alex Doolan capitalised on muted bowling and wasteful fielding, Australia's resounding victory left deep scars, some physical (such as the concussed Ryan McLaren) and some psychological (such as the cornered captain, Smith). Only the singular talent of A. B. de Villiers seemed equipped to muster a response.

Yet South Africa did fight back: their convincing victory in Port Elizabeth, aided by a gentler pitch, kept the series in the balance, and exposed the areas in which, despite their recent results, Australia remained deficient. Put under pressure by first-innings runs, they crumbled in the face of Morkel's hostility and Steyn's old-ball swing. De Villiers, J-P. Duminy and Hashim Amla all sculpted hundreds, to which only Rogers, with an ultimately futile fourth innings riposte, could reply. Clarke, meanwhile, had not reached 25 since the Second Ashes Test in early December. It was a more barren run than Smith, whose team were diminished by the loss of Kallis - but were still capable of raining heavy blows. The strains of the deciding Test ran both ways.

Clarke's correct call at the toss allowed the Third Test to mirror the First. This time it was Warner who set up the innings, before Clarke stood courageously firm against Morkel. An injury to Steyn was enough to cruel any South African thoughts of winning, but they strove with immense spirit to secure the kind of stalemate at which they had excelled under Smith. The announcement of his retirement came mid-match and, for much of a tense and at times bad-tempered final day, the hosts seemed likely to squeeze their way to a draw. Australia had little left to give, but Harris's final charge ensured it was enough.

After such drama, the three-match Twenty20 series that followed the Tests was a damp squib, with the first game rained off and the second badly curtailed. Australia prevailed in that shortened contest, and in the third game too, in part because George Bailey won two tosses. If he hoped it would be a springboard to success in the upcoming World Twenty20, he would be disappointed. For now, though, Australian cricket was once more feeling impregnable.

Match reports for

Tour Match: South African Invitation XI v Australians at Potchefstroom, Feb 5-8, 2014
Scorecard

1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Centurion, Feb 12-15, 2014
Report | Scorecard

2nd Test: South Africa v Australia at Gqeberha, Feb 20-23, 2014
Report | Scorecard

3rd Test: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Mar 1-5, 2014
Report | Scorecard

1st T20I: South Africa v Australia at Gqeberha, Mar 9, 2014
Report | Scorecard

2nd T20I: South Africa v Australia at Durban, Mar 12, 2014
Report | Scorecard

3rd T20I: South Africa v Australia at Centurion, Mar 14, 2014
Report | Scorecard

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