Australia played below themselves and lost convincingly. South Africa rose above expectations and won handsomely. The teams who will clash in Lucknow on Thursday couldn’t have had more contrasting starts to their men’s World Cup campaigns.
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India deployed Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in Chennai on Sunday, dismissed Australia for 199 and won by six wickets with 8.4 overs to spare. In Delhi on Friday, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram scored centuries for South Africa, who beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs.
Thus more hangs on this particular fixture than on most games between these sides, which are never anything other than heavy with context and consequence. Win and the belief that better days are ahead will grow. Lose and watch concern leap – in the Aussies’ case that they could go at least a dozen years without winning another World Cup, in the South Africans’ that the dream of their first title might be deferred for the ninth time.
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Logic says it’s too early to draw conclusions as big as those after two of the nine matches the teams’ will play before the knockout rounds. Maybe that’s true for other sides, but not these two. Australia, for all their wider republican ambitions, are as close to World Cup royalty as cricket gets having won the trophy five times in its 12 editions. South Africa are the game’s perennial flatterers only to deceive; contenders who are exposed as pretenders sooner or later. This really is princes versus paupers.
That South Africa have won 15 of their last 20 completed ODIs against Australia – a streak of success that runs from November 2014 – doesn’t matter much. The Aussies didn’t have their strongest combination in several of those games. In their series in South Africa last month, for instance, they were without Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell. And, as no-one will need reminding, this is a World Cup.
The closer contest on Thursday could be between South Africa’s Vs Australia’s bowlers, albeit that opinion is based on the events of each team’s one match so far. That said, the same could apply conversely. Who doesn’t want to see a fractious batting line-up take on an attack and fielding side that didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory last time out?
It’s difficult to look past the notion that this is a contest between a team who are losing their footing on the global stage and a side who have found theirs just in time to stand tall at the same level. Thursday’s game might well reduce that idea to folly, but right now it’s as good an idea as any about the outcome of the latest episode in one of cricket’s most enduring rivalries. Ekana Stadium, Lucknow.
Australia
Marcus Stoinis is over the hamstring problems that stopped him from bowling in Australia’s last three ODIs and both their World Cup warm-up games. He should crack the nod ahead of Cameron Green, who has passed 30 once in his last six completed innings and taken more than one wicket once in nine ODIs.
Tactics & strategy
Given Australia’s batting in Chennai, and the theory that Lucknow’s conditions could be similar, the pressure will be on to avoid the kind of collapse that claimed eight wickets for 89 against India. Marcus Stoinis’ likely addition should help shore up the middle order and help make that happen.
A downright un-Australian lack of direction afflicted Australia’s performance against India. South Africans have seen it before – during the ODI series between the teams in South Africa last month, when the home side stood up at last to win the last three matches, and with that the rubber, after losing three T20Is and two ODIs to the visitors.
The Aussies need to rediscover their compass fast if this tournament isn’t to recede in their rearview mirror.
Probable XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa
What to get for the XI who scored three centuries and posted a World Cup record total of 428/5 in their last game, against Sri Lanka in Delhi on Saturday? Perhaps a second spinner, what with India’s three slow poisoners taking six wickets in Chennai and Lucknow expected to suit spin. Gerald Coetzee might have to make way for Tabraiz Shamsi.
Tactics & strategy
South Africa’s shimmering batting in Delhi overshadowed a less convincing performance with the ball and in the field. They conceded runs too easily and dropped three catches and botched another – which didn’t matter much considering the target they had put up. But they will want to nip those issues in the bud.
Lucknow’s mystery pitch means that, in an important sense, the jury has to be out on whether they will be able to do so, but the bigger outfield compared to the Kotla should give them more room to take remedial action.
Probable XI: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
What they said
The intention is to try and play every game. We won’t be rotating goals unless we really have to; if someone’s really fatigued or managing a niggle that needs a bit of a rest. It’s a World Cup. You can’t take any game lightly.” – don’t expect Pat Cummins to take a rest anytime soon.
Australia and us have a great history and a good competitive background. Both teams have got big egos and they want to win; they want to beat each other. Whoever makes the right choices under pressure will be the strongest.” – Quinton de Kock distills the essence of South Africa’s Vs Australia.
Squads:
South Africa Squad: Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Lizaad Williams, Reeza Hendricks, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi
Australia Squad: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Cameron Green, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Sean Abbott, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis
