What a stunning assault by Mitch Johnson! 123 runs off just 103 balls with 5 sixes and 11 boundaries. Well, that makes up for Gilchrist’s retirement. It proves that Johnson’s earlier 95 not out in the first Test was not an aberration, but a mark of things to come for the future. Luckily for South Africa, the other batsmen after McDonald did not hang around for too long, thus handing them an innings victory which will provide some balm for the last two demoralizing defeats.
The past six Tests between these two teams, the Top Two in my book, has been extremely strange. As Andrew Hughes puts it,
I can’t work out if what we’ve been glued to for the last three months is two ordinary teams taking it in turns to beat one another up, or two fantastic sides engaged in a titanic struggle for world supremacy.
I am not sure earlier, but I think Australia gained more from these past few Tests than South Africa. They have been able to come back from a hiding at home and beat South Africa with a Test to spare. If Australia had lost this series, their aura of invincibility would have been shattered forever and other teams would play more confidently against them. Now, everyone thinks that the South African victory was a fluke and, besides, how many times has Australia ever won in India?
Australia has also unearthed some gems. Johnson, obviously, is the show-off candidate, shining with both bat and ball. As if the dazzling top order was not enough, now teams have to worry about the tail wagging feriously. If Australia can hit almost 200 runs after being 6 down against one of the best attacks around, that is not good news for the middling bowling of other teams.
But Johnson was also devastating with the ball with his partner Peter Siddle. An underbowled Katich also picked up 5 wickets at 11 runs each. For those who suggest Ponting is a brilliant captain based on this series victory, it is strange that he hardly bowled Katich and Clarke even when the South Africans were piling up their huge score in this Test.
The young Phillip Hughes has been a great find. After a quick duck in his first innings, he played three good hands to wreck South Africa’s hopes of winning the series. However, these good words cannot be said for the other new faces in the team, McDonald and Hilfenhaus, whose days in the team may be numbered.
The big shots in the Australian team, Ponting, Hussey and Clarke, did not make a significant mark in this series. If the trend continues, this could be a troubling issue for Australia. I still don’t think that Australia’s problems lie in their batting. Remember that Australia were bowled out for 207 in the 2nd innings of the first Test (compared to 209 this Test) and still won. Australia won when they were able to get South Africa out cheaply.
Australia’s next series, the Ashes in English conditions, will likely be much easier on the bowlers. But there will less room for error since the England bowlers are also likely to perform better. With Lee’s return, the bowling attack will gain some more teeth. However, Australia are still without a good spin option.
Is there any significance to the innings defeat? After all, it is the first time since 1998 (in India!) that Australia have lost by an innings. Considering it was a dead rubber, I don’t think anyone should read too much into it, except for the bowling failure. Everything reeked of lack of motivation and, if Johnson had not swung his bat around, they would have deserved to lose by much more.