Time For Introspection

Reflecting back on the Test is never a bad thing. It certainly could help Boucher inhis efforts to learn more about captaincy and also the mistakes that were made. Of course we must remember that he is just making his way inthis new role and it is not an easy one. Any team that loses its bowlers like Donald and Pollock is going to be under enormous pressure and this willtransfer itself to the other areas within the team.

The batting in the first innings was extremely disappointing, especially in view of the fact that Boucher won the toss and elected to bat first. Thepitch proved to be a really good one and all that was needed was a decent start. However, we must take into account that in McGrath and Gillespie, theAussies have the most lethal attack in the cricketing world.

It is my opinion that against the Aussies, South Africa should not bat first. While Iknow this is not the norm, the circumstances are also not normal. Their openers, Hayden and Langer, are in good form and it is largely through theiropening partnerships that the middle order, which is vulnerable, does not get exposed.

 Ponting now has form but imagine if South Africa got two wickets early on and Mark and Steve Waugh had made the scores they did with Martyngetting 2 and nil. Suddenly, Gilchrist might be under added pressure.

A team that scores just over 200 in the first innings of a Test match is always going to be under pressure for the remainder of the Test. However,the bowlers fought back brilliantly to get Australia out for a score that they would feel was too little on the Newlands pitch. Adams and Ntini reallyput up their hands and did the job.

Batting became much easier in the second innings and the Proteas were fantastic. They showed real determination and self-belief. To single out anybatsman would really be unfair. The only point to ponder over is why they got out before going on to make a really big score.

I believe that this was largely due to Warne’s effort of 70 overs. The concentration required tosurvive against him is enormous and it takes its toll. Lets face facts, Shane Warne’s effort was probably the best exhibition of leg spin bowlingseen in this country since Grimmet got 13 wickets in the match at Kingsmead more than 50 years ago, and yet the Proteas managed to post a score that putthem in contention to win the match.

The turning point in the Test came when Hayden and Langer kicked off and the Aussies got to 130 odd for one wicket at the end of the fourth day. Thestrategy employed by Adams was incorrect. We had seen the ball turning for 70 overs from Warne and so hadthe Aussie batsmen and yet when Adams came into the attack, not one fielder was placed within 10 metres of the bat.

Now he will probably say that he likes to start like that and it’s probably theway he does it in provincial cricket. Sadly, these guys are not the "also play some cricket" batsmen he bowls to in a weak system that is the root ofthe South African cricket problem.

The mindset that the bowlers had to have was to make the Aussies work hard for every run. Sadly they fell into thetrap of inexperience and thought that with 330 to get, they could try and bowl them out. It was the crucial mistake.

Like many Tests, there is always a twist in the tale and just fleetingly the Aussies gave their opposition another sniff. Gilchrist and Ponting ralliedand that was the final blow to any hope of a win.

There is no doubt that Pretorius has a long way to go before he reaches the mental maturity level needed for Test cricket. Hall cannot be considered asa bowler by any stretch of the imagination and these are the stark realities.

The fact that Adams is back really augurs well for the Proteas. He is and always has been a match winner. What our dear selectors need to understandis that by the sheer nature of his action, he is never going to be a very tight bowler and so they must complement him with bowlers who canfulfil that role -- not drop him!

Kallis is probably the best allrounder in world cricket when he is playing well. Right now he looks extremely dejected and although his batting isstill majestic, his bowling lacks consistency. If he turns it on, the team will feel an immediate lift in all departments.

The Test series has been lost and so has the chance to become the best in the world. Yes, we are in a transition period and whether we like it or not,this Australian team will go down in history as one that is the most exciting to watch and one that has raised the bar for all to follow.

A time for planning has never been more imminent. The World Cup looms large and one hopes that the entrusted panel of selectors and administrators arein touch with the realities of the modern limited overs game as well as the requirements that will make the modern professional cricketer perform at hisbest.

Lets not fool ourselves, the Aussies beat us hollow in the recent series in Australia. By making the changes to their team they havesignalled their intentions and the fact that they have a plan to go forward. Warne hasalready responded by losing 10 kilos and Ponting showed maturity when getting Australia out of danger.

The Aussie tour may yet hold much heartache for die-hard supporters like me.