The much-anticipated Test series between Australia and South Africa—hailed as the unofficial championship of Test cricket—began with an emphatic statement from the visitors. Australia recorded their second-largest victory in 60 Tests against a South African side that had not suffered an innings defeat since their loss to England at Durban in the 1964-65 season. However, beyond the sheer scale of Australia's triumph, this match will be remembered for a historic and record-breaking partnership between Steve Waugh and Greg Blewett, a stand that spanned three days and rendered South Africa helpless.
A Battle of Strategy
and Selection
The home side made notable changes to their XI, recalling
Jonty Rhodes and Jacques Kallis to reinforce the batting lineup, while Andrew
Hudson was preferred as an opener over Adam Bacher. Injury forced out
all-rounder Brian McMillan, leaving South Africa somewhat vulnerable in their
balance. Australia, too, had to adjust their squad. With Paul Reiffel
unavailable due to injury, Jason Gillespie was promoted to share the new ball
with Glenn McGrath. This shift resulted in Michael Bevan batting at No. 7 and
Ian Healy being pushed down to No. 8, seemingly leaving Australia a bowler short.
However, any concerns about their bowling depth were swiftly dispelled as the
match unfolded.
From the outset, Australia dictated the game, imposing their
authority in 12 of the 13 sessions. Their bowlers exploited South Africa’s
vulnerabilities with ruthless efficiency, and when it was their turn to bat,
they turned the game into an exhibition of dominance.
McGrath’s Masterclass
and Richardson’s Lone Resistance
Glenn McGrath, ever the architect of South African
discomfort, delivered a mesmerizing opening spell of 10-4-10-3, dismantling the
hosts' top order with characteristic precision. South Africa stumbled to 195
for 8, with only Hansie Cronje's fighting 76 providing any measure of
resistance. The frailties of the South African top order were brutally exposed,
their struggles against high-quality pace bowling once again laid bare.
Just when a complete capitulation seemed inevitable,
wicketkeeper Dave Richardson, long accustomed to salvaging lost causes,
launched a defiant counterattack. His unbeaten 72 off 87 balls, studded with
ten fours and a six, propelled South Africa to a somewhat respectable 302. His
shepherding of the tail, particularly in stands of 58 with Allan Donald and 49
with Paul Adams, delayed the inevitable but could not prevent Australia from
heading into their innings with a firm grip on the match. The only moment
Australia seemed to miss a third specialist seamer was during this late
resistance, but it proved inconsequential in the grander scheme. Healy’s five
dismissals behind the stumps epitomized the control Australia exerted.
Australia’s Ruthless
Response
Australia's innings began with an early setback when Mark
Taylor, in an unfortunate moment, played on against Shaun Pollock. However,
beyond that stroke of misfortune, South Africa’s renowned pace attack found
little joy on an unusually slow pitch. Donald briefly rekindled hope when he
dismissed Mark Waugh and Matthew Elliott—whose graceful strokeplay drew
comparisons to David Gower—within the space of three deliveries.
That flurry of wickets brought Greg Blewett to the crease to
join Steve Waugh, a partnership that would soon crush South Africa’s resolve.
Rain curtailed play early, but what followed over the next two days would
become the defining feature of the match. The second day belonged entirely to
Waugh and Blewett, as they became only the tenth pair in Test history to bat
through an entire day, an exclusive club last joined by Taylor and Australia’s
coach Geoff Marsh, who had put on 301 runs on the first day of the Trent Bridge
Test in 1989.
On the third day, South Africa’s bowlers toiled fruitlessly.
Blewett compiled a meticulous 153, and Waugh a typically resilient 123, extending
Australia’s stranglehold on the match. Waugh, ever the embodiment of grit,
suffered leg cramps after tea but refused to leave the field, embodying the
fighting spirit that defined his career. The partnership continued to flourish,
yielding 385 runs—the second-highest fifth-wicket stand in Test history and the
highest against South Africa, eclipsing the 370-run stand between Bill Edrich
and Denis Compton at Lord’s in 1947.
Blewett’s eventual score of 214, amassed over 519 minutes
from 421 deliveries, with 34 boundaries, was a masterpiece of patience and shot
selection. Waugh’s 160, crafted over 501 minutes from 366 balls with 22 fours,
was a study in tenacity. Their marathon effort ensured Australia’s complete
control over proceedings. Taylor’s declaration set South Africa a daunting
task, granting his bowlers a minimum of 138 overs to claim ten wickets, though
they required barely half that.
Australia’s
Inevitable Triumph
With South Africa facing a monumental challenge to salvage
the match, Jacques Kallis stood as the lone beacon of resistance, defending
resolutely for nearly three hours. But the force of the game had already
shifted irreversibly in Australia’s favor. Steve Waugh, now influencing the
match beyond his batting, executed a brilliant run-out to dismiss Hudson before
trapping Cronje down the leg side. The writing was on the wall
From that point, Warne and Bevan dismantled the rest of the
lineup with clinical efficiency. The final seven wickets fell for a mere 40
runs, with Bevan claiming four wickets for just two runs in a devastating
12-ball spell. His left-arm wrist spin, often overlooked, was as perplexing to
the South African batsmen as Warne’s renowned leg-spin. The pair’s combined
match figures—87.4 overs, 28 maidens, 207 runs conceded, and 12 wickets
taken—stood in stark contrast to Paul Adams’ weary toil, which yielded just one
wicket for 163 runs.
Silence in the Stands,
Changes on the Horizon
If South Africa’s performance on the field was harrowing,
the reaction in the stands was equally telling. Less than 60,000 spectators
bore witness to their team’s unravelling, their silence speaking volumes. The
air of dejection was palpable, a stark contrast to the usual fervour associated
with South African crowds.
This defeat was not just comprehensive; it was humbling.
South Africa had entered the series with aspirations of challenging Australia’s
supremacy, yet they found themselves thoroughly outplayed in every department.
As the team regrouped in the aftermath of this crushing loss, changes for the
Second Test were not merely a possibility—they were an absolute necessity.
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