McDonald hopeful of putting on a good show against South Africa – Cricket News Update
Australia A captain, Andrew McDonald, has said that his side will be sent as crash-test dummies when they take on South Africa in the three-day game, starting from November 2 at the SCG.
It will be the Proteas’ only game ahead of the first Test at Gabba, and they are likely to name a strong XI, close to the one which will contest the Aussie national team from next week.
That will include not only a formidable batting lineup, which will have inform Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, but will further contain a potent bowling attack, led by none other than Dale Steyn.
Much has been said about the tourists' bowling prowess, which has been described by many as the best in modern-day cricket. James Pattinson, the young Australian pacer, did little in hiding his admiration for Steyn, who he considers as the finest exponent of the new ball.
Michael Hussey, the veteran batsman, also heaped praise on the overall composition of the Proteas attack, claiming that they have all bases covered due to their complementing nature. He further added that it is the best attack he has faced in his 19-year long first-class career.
McDonald is another who remains a great admirer of the South African pace batteries, and feels that the warm-up game will provide a stern test for his side. Australia A's composition remains well balanced, including a host of all-rounders in Steven Smith, Moises Henriques and McDonald himself. On top of that, the batting work load is expected to be shared by the likes of Phillip Hughes, Rob Quiney and Alex Doolan, all of whom have been in good form in the domestic circuit.
"It's a nice attack, isn't it? It's an attack you'd want at your disposal," McDonald said. "But the Australians have got a good attack as well this summer. So it's going to be a battle of the pace quartets or however they shape up. It's going to be a red-hot series.
"We've been sent in first as crash-test dummies. We haven't had tour games like this for a while. It's a great inclusion in the Australian summer: to have the next best side in Australia take on the side that's the best in the world. It's a great opportunity for us and a good opportunity for the South Africans to find a little bit of form. Hopefully we can put up a good contest."
Tags: