Five months ago, Australia stood head and shoulders above everyone else in the ICC Test rankings as they prepared to embark on a tour of India. Legends had retired from the all-conquering team that twice won a record 16 Tests on the trot, but the word was that their strength in depth was unrivaled, that there were superb players waiting in the wings at domestic level who were ready to compete at Test level.
If that theory still has breath to give after two series defeats, it is certainly facing its greatest challenge as Ricky Ponting's side arrive in the city of gold with some precious metal of their own to defend.
While the squad that left for India was still expected to beat whatever came before it, containing as it did a number of world-class players, the one that arrived in South Africa last week had just three of the players involved in Australia's Ashes whitewash of two years ago.
It's been an intense five months of cricket which has decimated the team to such an extent that one South African paper joked on Monday that Australia 'looked like a village side' in Potchefstroom, the author explaining how the assembled hacks had trouble in recognising some of the players in the field.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment