While it was great to see India rediscovering their mojo, albeit against the West Indies, the real contest of the week was between the Aussies and their South African hosts in Jo'burg. Of course, the first Test was a freak and certainly no real guide to who is the better side. Smith and Amla may have held their nerve to secure an eight-wicket victory at Newlands but it was Steyn, Morkel and debutant Philander who did the real damage. Surely the Second Test would provide the real challenge, and so it proved.
This was a true contest between well-matched teams and between bat and ball. Too often these days we see five-day matches characterised by big hitting and results within four days, often very one-sided in nature. Here we had four innings each around the 300 mark with some excellent bowling and some gutsy batting. In the first innings, Kallis, de Villiers and Prince reached 50-odd but failed to dominate. Watson - supposedly injured - then shared a rare big opening partnership with Phil Hughes, before both fell having scored 88 apiece. Steyn and Morkel flattened the middle-order and Imran Tahir's spin mopped up the tail, reducing the deficit to 30.
In the second innings, Hashim Amla became he game's only centurion, AB scored 73 and Steyn struck some late blows, but teenage debutant Pat Cummins produced a brilliant 6-79 to hold Smith's team to 339, leaving the Aussies a target of 310. This time, Watson and Hughes went cheaply but Khawaja and Ponting put on 122 for the third wicket. The ex-skipper was still there at stumps on day four and his side were probably narrow favourites to win. Nevertheless, there was also the weather to contend with. Bad light had restricted play on every day so far but rain threatened to ruin an absorbing Test. Fortunately the sun came out and the covers came off before an early lunch and the crowd got the exciting finale the previous four days had promised. Ponting didn't last long and Clarke fell for two. SA were back in charge. Hussey and Haddin dug in to swing the game back their way, as there were plenty of overs in hand. However, when they were both out with the score at 287-7, Aussie fans must have been somewhat nervous. Mitch Johnson was enjoying his second aggressive knock but there was still a bit of work to do. Siddle went at 292 but Cummins showed he has an old head on his 18 year-old shoulders and with Johnson steered Australia to a two-wicket triumph.
So one-all and how we would all love to see another three Test matches between the two teams. Even a decider would have been nice but, no, there are too many one-dayers to fit into the schedule. The games should also be remembered for the arrival on the Test scene of Vernon Philander and Pat Cummins, who each won the Man of the Match award on their respective debuts. Steyn, Watson, Morkel and Clarke all had their moments but it's always good to see new fast bowlers arriving on the scene. Maybe in Cummins we have a new McGrath or Gillespie? Let's hope he remains injury-free and has the ability to produce the goods on less seam-friendly tracks around the world. Australia, and world cricket, needs good pacemen around. We also need more Test matches like this one, and not series which stop just as they are getting interesting!
