Australia vs http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 – 1st Test – Match Preview
Another enthralling battle for Test supremacy begins as hosts http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 look to wrestle for the Test crown mace with South Africa when both renew their cricketing rivalry at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as Gabba, tomorrow, November 9, 2012.
While any encounter involving the two powerhouses is eagerly anticipated, the ‘small matter’ of the no.1 glory attached to the upcoming bouts has given the series added weightage, and a perfect platform for the longer version to flourish in presence of continuous T20 cricket.
For starters, a three-match series is a welcoming prospect, allowing both sides a fair crack at each other as opposed to the short two-match contest both played last year, which according to Dale Steyn, was 'like the first two rounds of a boxing match, two heavyweights. Just as soon as we found our feet the Aussies were on their way home'.
Despite that series ending in a stalemate, it was a chaotic affair for the Aussies, who were at the peak of a rebuilding process under new skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978. The Argus review had left them in disarray, and constant chopping and changing in the coaching staff had further put the players under severe pressure and their leader, mentally drained.
Although it ultimately worked for the greater good of the team, which then embarked on an impressive unbeaten Test run, it certainly was a rude awakening for the once dominant Test cricketing nation.
Having come out of that trauma, they are now better placed to have a crack at the newly crowned Test no.1 side. The hosts begin the upcoming home summer knowing that a series win will show that their hard work in the last 12 months has indeed paid off, and more importantly, will be a major coup for Cricket Australia, which was forced to overhaul its structure in the wake of back-to-back Ashes defeats.
Their preparations have suffered in the lead up to the home summer, with injuries and lack of runs for many of the Test specialists. Their players last played a competitive Test in April, before embarking on their T20 adventures. An appearance in the Champions League T20 followed, leaving many with little red-ball practice.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RT-Ponting-c2377’s form will be a major boost for the team, where he has topped the domestic tally, averaging over 100.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 nonetheless, will be tested when they face a confident Proteas lineup.
The touring party is well blessed in all departments of the game, and remains much settled. Their batsmen have piled runs wherever they have played in the past year, which included an impressive outing against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 in July-August, while their bowlers are widely regarded as currently the best.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Morkel-c73528 has further established himself as a reliable campaigner and will be geared up to emulate his form of the past couple of months.
More importantly, the tracks Down Under are tailor-made for their style of bowling and it all adds up to an enthralling contest between bat and ball. Like the Aussies, South Africa is short of quality in the spin department, but in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Tahir, they have a wicket-taking option.
A lot has been talked about how the Gabba track will behave, with many predicting it to assist the spinners in the final two days. However, the last match on that ground, between Australia and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, ended in just a touch over 4 days. Rain is expected to play a part.
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