2nd Test, Day 2: Hussey helps Australia to 369 while Jacques Kallis leads South Africa fightback

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South Africa began Day 2 poorly as Australia's tail wagged and South Africa lost early wickets. Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist went cheaply but Mike Hussey has helped scraped a vital 110 runs from the last 3 wickets. It's encouraging to see Mr Cricket has slipped easily into the role of Mr Fix-it, adding important runs with the tailenders. The downside is it used to be Adam Gilchrist who achieved this - Gilly seems a pale shadow of his former self.

South Africa's innings began even worse than Australia's with Graeme Smith nicking Lee to third slip on the first ball of the innings. Herschelle Gibbs was lucky not to walk two balls later which would've had South Africa 2 down for 0 runs. Instead, Ricky Ponting dropped him at second slip. Fortunately, Gibbs fell soon after for 9, clean bowled by Kasprowicz.

The match turned in the 3rd session. After a poor start, de Villiers and Jaques Kallis built a strong partnership, dominating the bowling and scoring quickly until bad light stopped play. Kallis batted particularly well - scoring at a faster rate than he does in the one dayers. If anything, it was like the two teams were playing against type. Australia played a dour innings yesterday while South Africa were aggressive and looked to dominate the bowling today.

Australia didn't do themselves any favours either. Inexplicably, Ponting bowled Symonds ahead of Clark. His only excuse might be worried about bad light but I don't buy it - he had one and a half sessions to bowl him. Isn't Clark the guy who took 9 wickets in the last Test? No, let's use Symonds to let Kallis get his eye in instead.

Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz also bowled a bucketload of no-balls. If South Africa's bugbear is dropped catches, Australia's is no-balls. A major turning point during the Ashes was when Michael Vaughan was bowled off a no-ball then went on to make 150. You'd think the bowlers would have learned their lesson - would bowling a few inches back kill them?!

So the game is still well poised. Australia will need to dismiss Kallis cheaply tomorrow morning while South Africa will hope for a big Kallis hundred to set up a first innings lead. I'd put Australia in front but it still could go either way which is an exciting prospect.

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Posted by JC on Sun 26 Mar

3 comments

I'm with you. I can't believe Ponting let them get to 140 before he brings on his best bowler

He may be one of our best players of the last few years, but on the strength of what he's done today alone, but then add the loss of the unlosable one day match (I know, who cares about one day matches), and then his abysmal performance in the ashes, he should be sacked as captain.

It's hard to believe someone who has played the game at such a high level for as long as he has, has so little feel for the game before him and the people playing it.

Much as I can't stand Warnie's off field antics, if the captain is to be picked for his leadership skills, it's hard to go past him.

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Posted by Mark on 2006-03-26 01:39:50

Ponting as a captain exasperates me but I'm not prepared to completely write him off yet or sack him as captain. I'll give him another year or so to find his feet and if at that point he continues to screw up, I'll be baying for his blood. If he loses the Ashes again next summer, then in even less than a year.

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Posted by JC on 2006-03-26 01:41:54

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