Johannesburg: Dale Steyn often made reference to "cutting off the head of the snake" ahead of a big series against Australia.
The Proteas pace legend would identify the Aussies’ leading batters and then target them to render the rest of the team helpless. It is a trait he learnt from the great Australian teams of the past when Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were in their pomp.
While it has customarily been utilised by bowlers, the reverse can be equally devastating when a batting unit targets the opposition’s premier bowler. Just like the Australians have done in this second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After the batting debacle in Brisbane just a week ago, the Aussies took full advantage of “good cricket wicket” - according to Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt - by rattling up a mammoth 575/8 declared. An advantage of 386 runs.
David Warner may not have been able to add to his overnight 200 when he returned to crease, but Alex Carey (111) struck a maiden Test century while Travis Head and Cameron Green both made 51.
It was hard toil for the South African bowlers during their 145 overs in the field, and most notably for Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada.
It was rather ironic that on the day Rabada became the leading Test wicket-taker for 2022 when he dismissed Australian captain Pat Cummins in the afternoon session, the 27-year-old endured arguably his toughest day of his seven-year long international career.
Rabada delivered 28 overs, managed just one maiden, and conceded 144 runs for his two wickets at an economy of 5.14. Rarely - if ever - has South Africa’s golden prince been treated with such disdain.
He has also previously been particularly proficient against Australia with 48 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls, in nine Tests.
But instead of the customary fire-breathing Rabada that usually confronts the Aussies, he cut an exasperated figure for much of the day, and it filtered through to the remainder of the bowling unit - bar probably Anrich Nortje - as Carey and Green tucked in for an afternoon feast.
“It has been a tough three days for us. As a bowling unit, we probably did not start well in the first session, and then the next day the guys put in the effort, especially Anrich who bowled with a lot of heat,” Langeveldt told the media.
“KG wasn’t on song, if I can single him out. He is a wicket-taker. He has that ability to take wickets for us. The challenge for him is to control that. That’s his challenge going forward. He is one of the leading bowlers in the world, but the challenge is how he responds to flatter wickets.”
South Africa’s bowling unit have long played a lone hand in trying to keep their team in the contest while the batting unit have floundered from one failure to the next.
It was essentially due for the bowlers to have an off-colour Test, but Langeveldt believes the chastening experience over the past couple of days will only stand them in good stead for the future.
“I always thought that it was around the corner. We haven’t played on a good cricket wicket, and I think this is a good cricket wicket. We have played in a lot of Tests where it was rather bowler friendly.
“Partnerships are important to create that consistency, and it hasn’t been there in this game. It (lack of maidens) is definitely a red flag. We always aim to bowl 18 consecutive (dot) balls. It’s one of our KPIs. We haven’t achieved that in this game,” Langeveldt said.
The loss of captain Dean Elgar before the close plunged South Africa further into the quagmire as the visitors finished the day trailing by 371 runs with the prospect of a first series defeat in Australia since 2005-6 staring them straight between the eyes.
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