David Warner? again? Lost Forever, in the MCG’s first innings on Wednesday (December 28), and though rarely a huge isolation, were actually heading for the second crease.
Warner, who has started all but 11 of his 421 appearances, has rarely crossed the border alone. In November 2015 he made 200 runs only once against New Zealand in the WACA and he was not out for 244 at the start of the second day. He then faced another 14 balls and added nine more runs before Trent Vault caught him in the second slip. This time he had to rest the inning after hitting a second century on Tuesday.
What about David Warner? Again? On Wednesday (December 28), the perennial prodigal was on his way to the crease for the second time in the first innings at the MCG, and in rare splendid isolation.
Warner has opened the batting in all but 11 of Australia’s 421 innings, but he hasn’t often crossed the boundary alone. Only once has he batted with 200 runs in his arsenal, against New Zealand at the WACA in November 2015, when he was 244 not out at the start of the second day.
Then he faced 14 more balls and scored nine runs before Trent Boult caught him at second slip. After having to interrupt his innings after reaching his double century on Tuesday due to cramp so severe that he didn’t have the muscular leverage to remove his pads after retiring hurt, it only took one ball to dismiss him this time.
With his third delivery of the day, Anrich Nortje nailed Travis Head’s off stump. The fourth hit Warner’s pads and into his wicket. Pat Cummins feathered Kagiso Rabada four balls later and was caught behind.
Australia led by 211 runs with four wickets in hand. Mitchell Starc was dealing with ligament damage in his bowling hand. Cameron Green was unable to bowl due to a broken finger caused by Nortje. The pitch was the best the South Africans had seen this year for batting. Was this their way of getting back into the game?
The question was only relevant until Nathan Lyon screamed the second ball he faced over the cordon for four. Australia’s batting was far from over, especially with Alex Carey in full and spectacular form. Between Cummins’ dismissal and the declaration, 175 runs were scored, with Carey hitting 111 off 149 and sharing a stand of 112 with Green. South Africa’s reality was brought back into focus during the 50.4 overs that followed Cummins’ departure. Groundhog Day has returned in reverse.
By far their best performer of the innings was the penetrative, tireless Nortje, with occasional but inconsistent support from Marco Jansen. The rest of the attack was almost as shaky as the batting line-up had been in the previous two games of the series, both of which were lost in England in August and September.
It’s as if someone flipped a switch after South Africa won the first game of the series in three days at Lord’s. Perhaps the South Africans flicked it. They had no business changing their starting lineup for the second game at Old Trafford, as it undermined the thinking and performances that had worked so well at Lord’s. The consequences of that level of careless self-harm are insidious and difficult to shake, and there’s no turning back. Dean Elgar and his team have yet to recover as a result. How can you trust yourself to play properly if you can’t trust yourself to make the right decisions?
“It’s been a difficult three days for us,” bowling coach Charl Langeveldt said at a press conference on Wednesday. Unprompted, he pointed to Kagiso Rabada, the attack’s leader, as an example of what had gone wrong: “‘KG’ and a few of the other guys were not on the song. Control is a challenge for him. He’s one of the top wicket-takers in red-ball cricket, but playing on flatter wickets will be difficult for him.” Rabada was, in fact, more flattering than the pitch. Only the second time in 37 innings of at least 20 overs has he leaked more than five runs per over.
Rabada’s lacklustre performance wasn’t the only issue. Only one of the 91 overs bowled by the South Africans on Tuesday was scoreless “”We pride ourselves on bowling 18 consecutive [good] balls,” Langeveldt says. That is one of our key performance indicators, and we have not met it in this game.”
Could it be that the help from the conditions wasn’t as plentiful as it had been in previous matches? “This is a good cricket wicket where, especially with the ball, you get reward if you stay patient for longer periods,” Langeveldt said, admitting that South Africa had played “in a lot of Tests where it was more bowler-friendly.” As for the bowlers finally running out of options to keep the team on track despite their batting woes: “There is no bowlers vs. batsmen. Bowlers are included in the batting lineup.”
South Africa have nowhere to hide without a pitch worthy of pointing fingers. Their bowling chickens have finally returned home to roost with their batting chickens. Their batters are back in action, and they’re already up against it, with Elgar suffering his second leg-side strangulation of the game. Langeveldt wanted the survivors to take things day by day, hour by hour “Just try to get some runs. Let’s see where this goes. It would be fantastic if we could bat for two days.”
This is what desperation sounds like, and it’s understandable given that South Africa needs 371 more runs to force the home team to bat again. Even with their reduced bowling resources, the visitors are on course for their fourth consecutive Test defeat unless the afternoon rain that cut two hours out of Wednesday’s play does not dry up – as predicted – and stays until Friday.
That would cost them the series and make reaching the WTC final even more difficult.
They arrived on tour needing three wins out of their final five matches to be confident of being one of the teams at The Oval in June. If Melbourne goes as planned, victory in Sydney, where the third Test begins next Wednesday, will be critical. If that goal is not met, the two Tests against the West Indies in South Africa in February and March will be rendered meaningless.
South Africa’s only scheduled matches in the format in 2023 are those against India at home, which is set to begin in December. With an ODI World Cup coming up in October and November, it makes sense that the five-day game should not be the focus. However, South Africa has only played four Tests in a year twice since its readmission in 1991. Given how events have unfolded for them since those three ecstatic days at Lord’s in August, perhaps that’s not such a bad thing.
The problem wasn’t just Labada’s poor performance. His only one of his 91 overs scored by the South African on Tuesday was a ‘red flag’ for Langeveldt.
“I’m proud to have thrown 18 straight [good] balls. That’s one of our KPIs [key performance indicators] he didn’t achieve in this game.”
One of the reasons, he said, was that the conditions were not as helpful as they were in other games.Langeveldt admitted that South Africa “played in a lot of tests that were more bowler-friendly”, but used that as an excuse. did not accept.
“It’s a good cricket his wicket, especially where patience with the ball is rewarded longer.”
“There are no bowlers against hitters. Bowlers are part of the batting unit.”
Without a hint-worthy playing field, South Africa has nowhere to hide. Your bowling chickens chased your batter chickens who eventually made it home to their roost. Langeveldt wanted survivors to do things hourly to “just try to run.” Beat the time and see where it goes. If you can hit it for two days, that’s great.”
That sounds like desperation, but considering South Africa need 371 more to regain home-side batting, it’s justified. Unless two hours of rain in the afternoon, which lasted for Wednesday’s game, didn’t dry as expected, leading to four consecutive tests through Friday, even with reduced bowling resources, it would affect the likelihood of visitors entering the course. can’t give loss.
It costs them the series and increases the difficulty of reaching the WTC Finals.
He needed three wins in his five games remaining in the cycle to convince them he was one of The Oval’s team in June to join the tour. A victory in Sydney, which starts his third Test next Wednesday, is essential if Melbourne develops as expected. If that is not achieved, his two tests against the West Indies in South Africa in February and March will be all but meaningless. These are South Africa’s only matches scheduled in this format for 2023, with another possible match in the home series against India scheduled to start in December. With the ODI World Championship coming up in October and November, it makes sense that we shouldn’t be focusing on five days of competition. However, she is only twice since the 1991 restart when South Africa has only made her four tests in her year. Considering how she’s unfolded since she was dizzy for three days at Rose in August, that might not be a bad thing.