Quicks to battle it out in the SA-Australia Test series

The countries will pin their hopes of victory on their quicks with seamer friendly wickets on order for the tests in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg, and the contests set to be dominated by fiery exchanges of fast bowling. The series between the world’s second and third-ranked teams starts on Thursday with the first test at Kingsmead in Durban and both countries brimming with confidence after success in their last respective series. South Africa’s bowlers struck fear into India in their opening two tests in January before the tourist settled in and won a consolation game in the three-match series. This was achieved without injury-plagued veteran Dale Steyn but Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada proved a potent trio, supplemented by the arrival on the test scene of 21-year-old Lungi Ngidi. 

He took nine wickets in the last two tests against India at an average of 17.22 and reached speeds of 150 km/h. Australia produced record-breaking bowling performances as it thumped England 4-0 in the five-match Ashes Test series from November to January. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc took 20 or more wickets each, as did spinner Nathan Lyon. 

“I think there’s always a couple of series a year the whole cricketing world turns to and it feels like this series is going to be one,” said Cummins after Australia won a three-day warm-up against South Africa A at the weekend. “I feel like we play a similar brand of cricket, both try and be quite aggressive and brave and take the game on. And both teams have some fast bowlers that want to intimidate the batsmen.” 

Batting reputations will be tested with Australia captain Steve Smith the primary target for home bowlers and the host looking to exploit some indifferent form of late displayed by talisman AB de Villiers for the South Africans. An injury to his right index finger has kept him out for the last fortnight, along with captain Faf du Plessis who has a finger injury of his own to add to recent back ailments. But both are in the South Africa squad for the first two Tests and will be the mainstay of the home batting lineup.