Rain greeted the players ahead of the start of play on day three of the second Test between Australia and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and it was a welcome sight for the Proteas, but it wasn’t enough.
Having been made to toil in the field for a shattering 145 overs in the Melbourne heat as Australia amassed 575 for eight, and a lead of 386, this match is unlikely to have a happy ending for the Proteas.
Just nine balls into their second innings, captain Dean Elgar was gone for a three-ball duck after getting a touch on a Pat Cummins delivery down the leg-side, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey taking the catch to leave the Proteas zero for one.
Erwee (7*) and Theunis de Bruyn (6*) were able to survive the next six overs before rain ultimately brought a close to the day’s play.
At 15 for one, and with two days remaining, the Proteas are on the brink of a first series defeat Down Under since the 2005/6 season.
Control
Australia were in complete control in the Test, coming off a second day where they scored 341 runs for the loss of just two wickets, taking their tally to a mammoth 389 for three – 197 runs ahead of the Proteas’s first-innings total.
David Warner (200) was undoubtedly the star of the show, scoring a double century in his 100th Test before retiring hurt due to severe cramping. Steven Smith (85) also played a key role during a 239-run stand with Warner.
There was some bad news in the Australian camp, however, as it was confirmed that Cameron Green (6), who retired hurt after being hit on the finger by an Anrich Nortje delivery, had fractured his right index finger. The injury rules him out for the rest of the series and leaves him unable to bowl in South Africa’s second innings.
The Proteas may have been hoping for three days of showers to forge a result in the match, but the rain quickly dried up and play soon got under way after a 45-minute delay, with Travis Head (48*) and Carey (9*) at the crease.
Fighting back
Head, 28, brought up his 11th half-century in Tests and his second of the series soon after play resumed. But the very next ball, a steaming Nortje delivery broke through his defence and ripped out his off-stump, sending him packing for 51.
Having retired hurt on Tuesday, a now revitalised Warner (200*) strode to the crease next amid huge cheers from the Australian fans. However, his return was short-lived, as Nortje bowled him first-ball with a 147km/h scorcher to leave Australia 395 for five.
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Australian captain Cummins (4) fended off Nortje’s hat-trick delivery, but he too was walking back to the dugout just four balls later after a South African review confirmed he got a faint edge on a Kagiso Rabada delivery, leaving Australia 400 for six.
Wiley off-spinner Nathan Lyon proved to be a thorn in the Proteas’s side. He scored some quick runs – which included hitting Rabada for six – to put a halt to the bowling attack’s momentum.
After putting on a partnership of 40 runs with Carey, Lyon (25) was caught by Khaya Zondo, off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi. His innings lasted just 17 balls and included three fours and a six. The cameo meant Australia were now 440 for six – a daunting 251 runs ahead.
Out of sight
Following a drinks break, there was a surprise in store as Green (6*) walked into bat, despite nursing a fractured finger on his dominant hand which ruled him out for the rest of the series.
Carey hit three boundaries in a row off Ngidi to bring up his fourth half-century in Test cricket off just 66 balls, while Green emerged as a wall in defence, fending away ball after ball from a depleted Proteas bowling attack.
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Green’s defence paired with Carey’s attack proved to be a lethal combination, as Australia brought up 500 runs in the 120th over thanks to back-to-back boundaries from Carey, who edged ever closer to a maiden Test century.
And 13 overs later, with his family watching from the crowd, Carey hit a Marco Jansen delivery through the covers to bring up a maiden Test century off just 133 balls. In the process he became the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test century since Brad Haddin in 2013.
Carey eventually fell for 111 after ballooning an attempted leave back to Jansen off his own bowling, but the damage was done. Having walked to the crease with Australia at 363 for three, the scoreboard now read 557 for eight.
Green (51*) brought up a valiant half-century two overs later after hitting Jansen for four. Despite his injury, the all-rounder brought up the milestone off 170 balls in a Herculean effort of defence which shattered all momentum the Proteas bowlers had.
Cummins declared soon afterwards, with Australia 575 for eight, having built up a seemingly unassailable lead of 386 runs.
Struggles all-round
While the Proteas batting line-up failed in the first innings, the bowlers had an equally tough time out. Nortje was the pick of the bunch with his three for 92, while Keshav Maharaj (none for 135) and Rabada (two for 144) struggled in particular. Maharaj is yet to take a wicket in this series.
“We always pride ourselves on bowling 18 consecutive balls. That’s kind of one of our KPIs [key performance indicators], and we haven’t achieved that in this game,” said Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt.
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“In periods we didn’t bowl well as a unit. Partnerships are important for us to get that consistency going but it hasn’t been there in this game. So it’s just a red flag. It’s not something I’m worried about but it’s something we need to address,” he said.
Everest to climb
A South African victory has to be out of the question, with Google’s live win probability giving Australia a 93.4% chance of victory. But there are two possible scenarios which could secure a miraculous draw for the Proteas.
Option one is rain. The heavens opened on day three for the first time in the series, and a downpour on days four and five could see the match end without a result. However, the Australian government’s weather forecast says this is unlikely.
The only other realistic option is for the Proteas to bat out the two full days remaining in the Test, which would be about 160 overs. A prime example of this came during the second Test of South Africa’s 2012/13 tour of Australia, when the Proteas survived 148 overs in the fourth innings to draw the match.
Whether any of these scenarios are even remotely possible remains to be seen, but the only thing for certain is that the Proteas have a mountain to climb. DM
