BANGALORE: First, let the numbers sink in. Since December 2014, Steve Smith — who will lead Australia against South Africa in a four-Test series that begins in Durban on Thursday — averages 79.33 across 39 Tests. There have been 19 centuries — as many as Mark Taylor, one of his predecessors, made in 104 matches — and 15 other scores in excess of 50.
Those figures indicate why the visitors, who have not lost a series in South Africa since 1970, are marginal favorites. There will be some great batsmen on view at Kingsmead, but for the moment, Smith operates on another plane.
If South Africa do want to clutch at straws, they can look at his record in conditions when the ball has moved extravagantly off the seam. In the 2015 Ashes, sandwiched between scores of 215 at Lord’s and 143 at The Oval, he made seven and eight at Edgbaston and six and five at Trent Bridge. Australia were routed in both Tests, and lost the Ashes. Then, under lights in Adelaide last December, he made 40 and six against the pink ball.
Unfortunately for South Africa, the ball used in Durban will be red, and the pitch is likely to be on the slow side. On his last trip across the breadth of the Indian Ocean four years ago, Smith scored 269 runs in three Tests at 67.25. South Africa will need to restrict him to below 300 runs if they are to stand any chance of reversing what is one of the more mystifying home jinxes in cricket.
Having tonked England 4-0 in the Ashes, Australia keep faith with the same XI that won in Sydney in early January. That means another opportunity to impress for Cameron Bancroft, the opener whose Ashes went steadily south after a half-century in Brisbane.
The Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell, had stellar Ashes campaigns, and Shaun, the older of the two, will doubtless recall that it was his 148 at Centurion four years ago that set Australia on their way to another series win on South African soil.
But it is the bowling that South Africa will be most wary of. Having lost 60 wickets to an Indian attack spearheaded by Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they now face Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Nathan Lyon, after years of not being afforded respect because he was not Shane Warne, is now one of the game’s premier spinners and will fancy his chances of doing to South Africa what Harbhajan Singh, Graeme Swann and Rangana Herath have in Durban Tests over the past decade.
Against India, South Africa went in with five specialist batsmen. By the end of the third Test, Quinton de Kock, the wicketkeeper batting at No. 6, was edging everything he faced. It would be a huge surprise if they persisted with the same team composition, and Smith said as much at his pre-match press conference.
“If they have the same line-up as the India Test matches, I think it’s a very long tail,” he said. “If you can get some early wickets and get into the middle order quickly, you might be able to go through them.”
Faf du Plessis, the Proteas’ captain, has recovered from the broken finger that kept him out for all but one white-ball game against the Indians, and it will be a toss-up between Theunis de Bruyn, the Titans batsman, and Wiaan Mulder, the Lions all-rounder, as to who is drafted in to bolster the middle order. On what is likely to be a sluggish pitch, Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner, will certainly get his chance.
If only three pace bowlers play, then Lungi Ngidi, sensational on his debut against India in January, will drop to the bench. Kagiso Rabada will share the new ball with Vernon Philander, with Morne Morkel — playing his last international series — as first change.
“He’s been a great team man for the last 10 to 12 years,” said du Plessis of Morkel. “He will be missed, but he has his family to look after. He’ll be difficult to replace, but the good thing is that we have Lungi Ngidi coming through.”
Morkel, who has 294 Test wickets, is 33, like his captain. AB de Villiers is 34, and Hashim Amla turns 35 before the end of this series. Dale Steyn, who misses the Kingsmead game after the foot injury he suffered against India, is 34. For a golden generation of Proteas, who were instrumental in three straight series victories in Australia, this is one last chance to change that bizarre home record. To do it, however, they will have to get past the indomitable Smith.
Steve Smith again the key as South Africa ponder how to beat Australia
Steve Smith again the key as South Africa ponder how to beat Australia
Man City held by Solanke stunner, Sesko delivers ‘best feeling’ for Man Utd
- Solanke’s absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs’ struggles
ONDON: Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge hit a fresh stumbling block as Dominic Solanke’s acrobatic strike salvaged a 2-2 draw for struggling Tottenham on Sunday, while Benjamin Sesko secured another thrilling 3-2 win for Manchester United over Fulham.
City were cruising toward what would have been another damaging defeat for Spurs boss Thomas Frank as they led 2-0 at half-time.
But Solanke scored twice in the second half to leave Pep Guardiola’s men six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
City have won just one of their six league games in 2026 to allow the Gunners to move closer to a first title in 22 years.
“We haven’t had the consistency to win the games when others were able to do it,” said Guardiola.
Rayan Cherki fired the visitors into an early lead and was only denied a spectacular second by a brilliant Guglielmo Vicario save.
Antoine Semenyo did double City’s advantage before the break to spark uproar from the furious Spurs support at half-time.
However, Tottenham flipped the script in the second period to give Frank some breathing space.
Solanke’s absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs’ struggles.
The England international’s finish from close range halved the deficit before he produced a stunning moment of athleticism to hook the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma with a scorpion kick.
Sesko rides to Man Utd rescue
A third consecutive win since Michael Carrick took the reins at Old Trafford propelled United back into the top four at the expense of Chelsea and Liverpool.
A week on from a 3-2 win at Arsenal, it was another throwback to United’s glory days during Carrick’s playing career as they snatched victory in dramatic fashion after a Fulham fightback.
Goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha either side of half-time put United in command.
Just a second defeat in nine league games dealt a blow to Fulham’s own hopes of European football next season.
The visitors showed plenty of fight as Raul Jimenez’s penalty five minutes from time began a frantic finale before Kevin’s spectacular strike looked to have salvaged a point.
But United went straight down the other end and Sesko spun onto Bruno Fernandes’ pass before blasting into the top corner.
“It’s the best feeling I have to say,” Carrick said.
“Some of the best moments I’ve been part of here, you can dissect performances and there are plusses and not, and then you get a moment of elation and excitement like that.”
Villa’s title dreams fade
To cap a fine day for Arsenal, third-placed Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Brentford to remain seven points off the top.
Kevin Schade was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash on 42 minutes.
But in first-half stoppage time, the Bees took the lead when Dango Ouattara blasted in from a narrow angle.
Villa laid seige to the Brentford goal after the break but lacked the invention to break the visitors down.
Tammy Abraham did have the ball in the net but was denied a debut goal on his return to Villa after a VAR review found the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.
Crystal Palace also failed to make the most of a man advantage in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s early strike put Forest in front, but Neco Williams’ decision to punch the ball clear off his own goal-line just before half-time was the break the visitors needed.
Ismaila Sarr netted from the penalty spot after Williams was shown a red card.
However, Palace failed to end their 12-game wait for a win and remain just three points above Forest and nine clear of the bottom three.
