The most enduring memories of ODIs between Australia and South Africa invoke the shock of seeing Allan Donald inexplicably rooted at the non-striker’s end in a tied World Cup semifinal in 1999 and the thrill of a Protean pursuit of a record 435 in 2006 at Johannesburg in a match that gave 50-over cricket its first taste of 400-plus totals.
Between these events and beyond, South Africa has reinforced its ‘choker’ tag while Australia has added four World Cup titles.
But with the winds of change blowing across cricketing meadows and knocking down cherished ideals and dogmas, South Africa is showing signs of shedding that tag and injecting life into the one-dayers.
It amassed the biggest total in World Cup history in the campaign opener against Sri Lanka last week.
Australia has also kept pace with the evolving tempo of one-day cricket and has a top-six, led by David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, capable of the big hits and manoeuvring the field with aplomb.
The two recently squared off in a five-match series, which saw them score at over 6.5 runs an over, that exemplified their approach and if anything could put paid to their intentions on Thursday, it will be the conditions at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The last match held here saw India drag itself to a 100-run target in 19.4 overs on a sluggish track, prompting the removal of the curator.
South Africa has been running against its grain of late and has an unsettled pace attack in the absence of tearaway speedster Anrich Nortje.
The Proteas’ spin stocks, just like an Ashton Agar-less Australia, also lacks bite.
Onus on bowlers
Australia and South Africa have the worst death overs economy rate among teams in the tournament this year, and how their bowlers fare in this phase against a pantheon of hard-hitters could determine the contest.
