Marius
International Debutant
I still think Australia are favourites, the Test side will be much stronger than the ODI side, and we won't have AB. Think it'll be close but if I was a betting man I would put my money on Australia.
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***Official*** Australia in South Africa + South Africa in Australia 2016/17
- Thread starter StephenZA
- Start date
Spikey
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wait are they just gonna replace him with marsh if we do this
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah don't think the ODI series has much bearing on the test series. Australia generally wouldn't care much about this ODI series. They do it for money purposes but a loss here won't hurt them as much as a test series defeat. And Australia in at home tests is a different beast altogether. Warner looks to be in ominous form and he loves smashing South Africa and Starc and Hazelwood can run through this SA batting side if fit.
StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
Has bearing on confidence.... a lot of the middle order SA players, particularly with out de Villers, had question marks but at least they feel more confident now.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
I don't know if that sort of thing really works. Sri Lanka crushed Australia 3-0 and still never looked like competing in the ODI series. England won the Ashes 2010 and got hammered in the ODI series that followed, just like in the 2013 home Ashes they won and then lost the ODI series.
When you're out in the field on Day 1 and Australia win the toss and Warner is smashing you around, that confidence can go away very fast.
Look there is quality in this South African test side now doubt and they are not a number 6 team by any means, and they still have the best away record among all the test playing nations, but Australia at home is just too strong. They usually always win the toss on Day 1, bat first, blast 500 with 2-3 people tonning up, and very few teams come back from there to win the series.
South Africa got smashed too in the first 2 tests in 2012 but held on and came back hard in the third test. Don't think this team is quite as good as that one.
OverratedSanity
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Greatest rope a dope in cricket history.
StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
I never said SA are favourites... I stated earlier that I still think Aus will be tough to beat. My comment was on the importance of the ODI series for the confidence of the SA players, the middle order batting in particular. Regardless of circumstances they played well and won a couple of games for us. This will give them confidence going into the test series.... will that last, we shall see?
OverratedSanity
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What do you expect the opening combination to be? Elgar and Cook?
StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
Yes, almost guaranteed... lots of arguments here in SA regarding QDK opening. I was originally against it but I wonder if having that aggressive pressure up front on the Aus bowlers might not be a bad idea in Aus, also allows us to play Rilee. But to much pressure on a young guy keeping wicket.
Team will be: Elgar, Cook, Amla, Faf, Duminy, Bavuma, QDK, Philander, Rabada, Steyn, Shamsi/Morkel/Abbott
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Marius
International Debutant
Has to be I think.
I suppose the side will be:
Cook
Elgar
Amla
Faf
JP
Bavuma
QDK
Philander
Steyn
Rabada
One of Morkel, Shamsi, or Abbott
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
It was a tremendous achievement no doubt. Was not trying to run that down at all. I don't care what team Australia fielded, if it appeared for an international match, it's the Best XI that was available and no team has managed to beat Australian ODI side so comprehensively in recent times. So the ODI achievement is great and much needed for South Africa after a disappointing tri series earlier.
vcs
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Australia were the better side over the course of the first two Tests, but didn't do enough to deserve to win one. SA actually started off well in Brisbane with Amla and Kallis making hundreds and took 3-4 wickets early in the Aus innings.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
Cook has to play. Will be very disappointed if he gets dropped.
StephenZA
Hall of Fame Member
I think Elgar would be the one to get dropped for QDK to open; Keeps left/right combination and while Elgar is nuggetty player has not lit the world alight with his batting, some good innings but can be inconsistent.... but none of this is likely to happen.
Marius
International Debutant
Problem with the side that we both posted is that if you play Abbott or Morkel you have too many whites in the team...
Which also probably means that when AB is fit again Faf or one of Cook or Elgar will have to be dropped.
Black_Warrior
Cricketer Of The Year
The other problem is 4 bowlers. The 2012 side had Kallis. Steyn still has some niggles, Philander is injury prone, Shamsi the spinner is a debutant and will be targetted. That leaves Rabada with a very heavy workload.