This Test is the one-year anniversary of Alex Carey forecasting his mate Travis Head would turn into one of many world’s greatest batsmen.
It appeared a tad untimely for a participant who a number of months earlier had misplaced his Cricket Australia contract nevertheless it’s time to present the fortune teller his due.
In consecutive Gabba Tests the free-spirited Head has taken a century off England after which handled the adorned South African assault as if they’re park bowlers.
He might have floundered in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in between however his greatest work in Australia actually is uncommon air.
Watch Australia v South Africa. Every take a look at match dwell and ad-break in play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Head has all the time been an attention-grabbing case research, partially as a result of South Australia has over the previous a long time produced three left-handed stroke-players – Darren Lehmann, Wayne Phillips and David Hookes – who performed lower than 30 Tests every for various causes regardless of being gamers of remarkable expertise.
Head, for a number of years seen as a flighty fringe participant, has one way or the other managed to crack the Test match code on house shores.
The nationwide selectors have all the time appreciated Head however they had been by no means positive how you can get the perfect from him.
Some folks have stated his beautiful type surge proves he ought to by no means have misplaced his Cricket Australia contract – others who know him nicely say it was the making of him.
COOL SKIPPER
Pat Cummins’ clean transition to the Test captaincy has left Australia to ask itself whether or not it’s been seduced by faux logic for 145 years.
That lengthy held principle that bowlers had been too busy to run the staff meant that earlier than Cummins took, Ray Lindwall – in a single Test solely – was the one different specialist quick man to guide as Australian Test staff.
Cummins biggest challenges are forward with sequence in opposition to India and England however
however there’s a calm resilience on this staff and Cummins had no qualms in difficult conference by bowling first on the Gabba.
There appears little question that Cummins encouragement of Head to play his pure sport has helped him play with uplifting freedom.
You surprise what different quick bowlers might have provided as Test leaders had they not been discarded due to the “batsman are greatest’’ principle.
The nice Keith Miller was snubbed as a result of he was deemed too vibrant off the sphere however was adored by his fellow gamers who loved enjoying below him at state degree.
Geoff Lawson was by no means near captaining Australia but he was probably the most progressive Sheffield Shield captain of the Eighties and would have been an attention-grabbing alternative if ever Allan Border had been injured.
Lindwall received one Test as skipper. His mates reckon he might simply have finished the job full-time.
UNLEASH THE BEAST
Occasional movie producer Kagiso Rabada just lately did a film referred to as Ring of Beasts then, for one dramatic ball, grew to become one on the Gabba.
Bowlers have been making an attempt to tuck up David Warner with brief stuff for years however he’s so fast and evasive that until you land it on the pin level, you pay.
But Rabada at his greatest is subsequent degree. He was clearly a person with a plan.
He warmed up strongly and arrowed his first ball immediately on the physique the place Warner’s ft got here off the bottom, his hand got here off the bat and his eye got here off the ball as he fended to brief leg who was on pink alert for exactly that shot.
Someone within the press field exclaimed “it was a very robust one to get first up however you do get these ones first up.’’
South Africa have their plan for the sequence for Warner now.
Opening the batting is a brutal skilled and Warner’s current modest type will imply at age 36 he’s on trial for his future within the remaining two Tests of the sequence.
Batsmen can age rapidly in opposition to categorical tempo however Warner is a famend scrapper. Great challenges await in opposition to a wonderful South African tempo assault – not merely for Warner however everybody.
Originally printed as Australia v South Africa: Follow all of the motion from day 2 on the Gabba
