This week, Kumar Sangakkara added another 195 runs to his tally against Pakistan, taking his tally in the three-Test series beyond 500. Impressive stuff in his 100th Test match! Ravi Ashwin made his debut for India against the West Indies in Delhi and was named Player of the Match, taking 3-81 and 6-47. Perhaps inspired by T20 tactics, he and Pragyan Ojha even opened the bowling for the second innings and very successfully, too.
In the Sheffield Shield, Tom Cooper, South Australia's New South Wales-born Dutchman (are you keeping up?) plundered 98 then an unbeaten 203, his maiden first-class century, when his side followed on against NSW. The Blues had made a great start to the rain-affected game, thanks in large part to David Warner, who played himself into Test contention with 148.
However, my Player of the Week was participating in THAT match in Cape Town. OK, so that doesn't narrow it down very much. It featured three gallant centurions and a whole host of spectacular bowling performances. Shane Watson claimed 5-17 in the first innings but contributed only seven runs in two attempts. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel each took six wickets, while debutant Vernon Philander went two better, with 5-15 in the Aussies' second innings nightmare. I was fascinated to read on Cricinfo that, amidst a welter of records emerging from the game, it was the first time that a player from each side had been dismissed twice on the same day! One was Jacques Rudolph and the other, Michael Clarke.
On the final day, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith proved hat the wicket can't have been all that bad by stroking centuries for South Africa but for me, the performance of the match came from the visiting skipper Michael Clarke who also gets my Player of the Week award. Ending the first day unbeaten on 107, his innings was already looking invaluable, and when he was last out for 151 from a total of only 284, the wicket wasn't made to look that difficult. However, given that the next 22 players, Clarke included, failed to reach 151 between them on the same day, that first innings performance looked even better.
Since opening his Test account seven years ago with - coincidentally - another 151 against India at Bangalore, he has had a mixed career for Australia. However, since replacing Ricky Ponting as Test captain, he has won plaudits for his leadership whilst not forgetting the batting talent that got him in the side in the first place. Clearly there were lessons to be learned from the disastrous collapse at Newlands this week but by keeping their heads against seam bowling, Clarke's side could tie the series in Jo'burg. Last week's runs took him past the 5000 landmark in Tests, and he averages a very respectable 47. He also has an excellent record when it comes to converting fifties to hundreds, reaching three figures sixteen times in 73 Tests matches. If only his teammates can demonstrate some old-fashioned Aussie grit and application, Clarke could become a worthy successor to Border, Waugh and Ponting.
