Australia v South Africa - Series Preview

The Proteas are talented, and well placed to challenge the Aussies, it will be a corker of a series, blah, blah, blah. We've heard it all before from a media desperate for a contest, and to create one where one doesn't really exist.

The South Africans have always been talented. They've usually been in form before gracing our shores. But except for the exploitation of a team with a problem with chasing small targets by a wily veteran, South Africa hasn't won a test match in Australia since returning to world cricket.

In 1997 they came full of confidence, against an Australian side that had retained the Frank Worrell Trophy and the Ashes, but with more difficulty than was expected. It was an engrossing series, with Jacques Kallis and Brian McMillan fighting for a draw in Melbourne, Shane Warne at his brilliant best taking his 300th test wicket on his way to winning the Sydney test match, and the enthralling final day in Adelaide, when an Australian side weakened by injury managed a draw, thanks to Mark Taylor carrying his bat in the 1st Innings, and Mark Waugh making an unbeaten, inspirational 100 in the 2nd.

In the last two series the Aussies have won 5 of 6 test matches, with only a most docile Perth wicket preventing a whitewash.

The South African teams that have played these matches have been good, talented, cricket teams. But as Karl Stefanovic put it on the Today show last week, they have "heart-ledge" issues. Their problems are mental, not physical.

Australia no longer has the guile of Taylor, the sheer will of Steve Waugh, or the incredible talent of the 2005/06 team to ensure victory. Ricky Ponting will have to captain well (and make a few runs on the way), the Australian pace attack will have to adapt without the players of the series the last time Australia visited South Africa, Stuart Clark, and Jason Krejza will have to get some results against a team Warnie loved to torment.

And I think it will happen. The South Africans will discover another fatal flaw, another way to lose. The Australians will find a way to have the better of de Villiers and Amla, and will get to Steyn and Morkel. They always have, and this is not the South African team of the late 1960s coming over. They're good, but they're not great.

It does promise to be interesting, if over a little too quickly. The entire series will be over in 22 days.