This series will be Steven Smith’s first major captaincy challenge at home, while Faf du Plessis leads a group that has no experience of losing a series in Australia.
Daniel Brettig in Perth02-Nov-20161:51
‘Smith will be great Test captain’ – Haddin
Not a single South African player knows what it is to lose a Test series in Australia. Not a single Australian player knows what it is to win a home series against South Africa. For a pair of transitional teams, that is a significant fact.Add to it another: Australia have been clean swept in their most recent Test series in Sri Lanka, then swept again – by the Proteas no less – in an ODI series in South Africa. Throw in a pair of underdone Australian pacemen, a porous middle order and a fielding side far less formidable than many who went before them, and the picture is clear: this is not going to be easy for the hosts.South Africa, of course, are not the side they were. For the first time in more than a decade they are not being led to Australia by the commanding figure of Graeme Smith. AB de Villiers isn’t here, and Morne Morkel is not yet 100% fit. But there is a sense of regeneration about the side, of setting new goals and forming a new identity. In junior years Faf du Plessis was often captain of the same teams de Villiers played in. Having gained his chance through injury, du Plessis, first seen by Australians with his serenely dead bat in Adelaide four years ago, now looks a natural leader.For Steven Smith, this is the series in which he faces a first major test at home. Well as he and his teams have performed against India, New Zealand and the West Indies, those sides boasted not a single series win down under between them over the past 23 years. South Africa’s methods are suited to Australia, much as the reverse is true on the other side of the Indian Ocean. Smith has taken solace in a wider record of home success – unbeaten since the Proteas’ last visit in 2012.”Traditionally we have played well at home and it’s about us knowing what we do well here,” he said. “We have scored big first innings runs and that is going to be crucial for us this year again.”Bowling aggressively to the tail, not being afraid to get it up there and intimidate them a little bit. To the top order consistently bowl good areas and challenge them on wickets that traditionally bounce a bit more than they are used to. It is important for us to do that this summer.”Obviously we haven’t come off the back of much great cricket, South Africa was disappointing and Sri Lanka was as well, that’s gone, we’ve left that behind and we are focusing on what we have can control now and that is this summer.”Much talk has centred upon the mental battle, whether it be Dale Steyn’s familiar refrain about “cutting the head off the snake” in reference to Smith, or David Warner hoping to see the visitors’ pacemen losing their collective rag with a flurry of short balls at the WACA Ground. Smith has reiterated his desire to see his men strut around the middle like they own the place, not retreating into themselves as happened in Sri Lanka.”It’s about making sure that each individual can get the best out of themselves and have a presence about them,” Smith said. “Everyone does it differently, for someone it might be about getting into a verbal contest with a bowler to get themselves going. Or with a batter as a bowler.”For me I don’t like to say a great deal it’s more about making sure that my body language is right and I’m puffing my chest out and looking like I’m out there and I own the place. It’s about each individual knowing what gets them going, and when they do that it’s going to be best for the team as well.”For well over a decade, that approach tended to unnerve the South Africans in Australia. Both sides knew who had the edge when matches reached their pointy end, and it was the team of Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. But du Plessis leads a generation unfamiliar with that kind of mental block: as uncomfortable as the Australians will try to make things for the visitors, they will know how to push back effectively.Steven Smith knows Mitchell Starc will be his key weapon in this series; Faf du Plessis knows his batsmen will have avoided a big threat if they can stop Starc’s short and sharp spells producing wickets•Getty Images”We are a team that respects the opposition, no matter where we go in the world,” du Plessis said. “If its gets to a tough stage in the game, which is what Test cricket is all about, and it gets a bit loud out there in the middle, it’s just about soaking it in and understanding that you have to work your way to get the momentum on your side again.”That’s Test cricket, that’s normal for me. I think that’s more the thing people forget to focus on, that Test cricket is like that. It’s up and down. Then you are on top, then you are under pressure and you just got to soak it up and ride the wave until it gets on your side to put some pressure on the opposition.”But the most pivotal factor in this series, and its opening match at the WACA, will be Mitchell Starc. Starc knows it, South Africa know it and Australia most certainly know it. Still nursing a deep cut to the left leg from a training mishap, Starc will push through some discomfort to try to be near his best and fastest. Smith said he will likely be using his most explosive asset in short bursts a la Mitchell Johnson.”I’d say there is a good chance of that,” Smith said. “He has traditionally done pretty well here at the WACA, I thought he bowled beautifully last year on a slow benign wicket, I would prefer this one to have some more pace and bounce to assist him out there.”The Proteas are braced for impact, knowing that the ability to see out his spells will more than likely tell the tale. “He is a fantastic bowler,” du Plessis said. “A guy that swings the ball and bowls quick, any captain would say that’s something they would want in their team. It’s important for us to make sure he doesn’t get his tail up and doesn’t get wickets. That would mean we put a big threat for Australia aside.”It’s important how we play him. If we’re going to win this series it’s going to be how well we’ve played him in those short bursts. He’s a wicket-taker so he needs to come on and get wickets. We as a team understand that. We need to make sure we get through those periods.”Happy history down under should make a difference to the Proteas, and recent failures will trouble Australia. It remains to be seen how much all that will matter in the fraction of a second it takes for Starc’s missiles to reach the other end of the pitch.