As South Africa and Australia prepare to do battle, ESPNcricinfo runs the rule over some of the key match-ups that will help decide the two-Test series
Brydon Coverdale in Cape Town08-Nov-2011Mitchell Johnson v Graeme Smith
Last time the teams met, in home and away series in early 2009, Mitchell Johnson broke not one but both of Graeme Smith’s hands in separate incidents. At the SCG, Johnson got a ball to jag back in and it struck the knuckle on Smith’s left hand. Despite his courageous return to the crease in the second innings, when he tried to salvage a draw, the injury forced him out for six weeks. Two months later, in the return tour, Smith tried to fend off a rising 150kph delivery from Johnson in Durban, and the ball fractured his right hand. Smith believes he came back too quickly from those breaks, and he now uses gloves with more protection in those areas.Fast forward to 2011 and Smith is rusty, having not played a first-class match since the first week of January, while Johnson is full of vim and vigour after his nine-wicket haul in the tour match in Potchefstroom. “He gets a new dimension to his bowling with the new ball here, he gets a little bit more shape than normal,” Smith said. “That’s a whole new aspect to facing him in South Africa.” It is the most anticipated rematch of the tour.Morne Morkel v Ricky Ponting
Three factors conspire to make this one of the most fascinating contests. One: Morne Morkel is the only member of South Africa’s likely pace attack who has some first-class cricket under his belt this season. Two: Ricky Ponting needs runs more than ever. Three: Morkel generally moves the ball in to right-handers. Ponting will be especially aware of that last issue. The list of men who have dismissed Ponting most in Test cricket features several who enjoyed nipping the ball in to bowl him or trap him lbw: Makhaya Ntini, Ishant Sharma and Darren Gough among them. Morkel himself has claimed Ponting’s wicket four times in five Tests. As arguably South Africa’s best prepared bowler, he could be the man to trouble Australia’s new No.4.Dale Steyn v Phillip Hughes
Last time the teams met in South Africa, Phillip Hughes outplayed Dale Steyn and Morkel, who were considered the best new-ball combination in the world. Hughes’ twin centuries in his second match, at Kingsmead, excited Australian fans and played a key part in Australia winning the series. But since then Hughes has struggled to replicate that form at Test level, found out by England’s fast men, who probed him with consistent lines. Steyn has said in the lead-up to this series that the South Africans bowled too wide to Hughes last time and had learnt from England’s efforts. All the same, Hughes is coming off a century in his most recent Test innings. One big score from him in the two Tests could go a long way to setting Australia on the right path.Imran Tahir v Michael Clarke
Australia’s captain is the team’s best player of spin. At his best, his feet are light and he moves quickly to the pitch of the ball. A century in the final Test in Sri Lanka and a classy 76 during the tour match in Potchefstroom suggested that Clarke is in close to his best form, albeit after a lean patch in Test cricket leading up to Sri Lanka. Facing Imran Tahir will be a new and different challenge. Tahir will be the first right-arm wrist-spinner to play a Test for South Africa since their readmission and on a Newlands pitch expected to offer some assistance, he could be a major weapon. Clarke needs to lead the Australian response to Tahir with confidence and control.”A lot of guys have seen him and played against him in county cricket,” Clarke said of Tahir. “A few of us were fortunate enough to play against him in the practice game at the one-day World Cup. We’ve looked at a lot of footage. He’s a very good bowler. He’s got a handful of variations that he likes to bowl quite often and he’s quite an attacking bowler, he likes to take wickets. We’ve prepared as well as we can without actually facing him.”Hashim Amla v the Australian attack
One of the mysteries in the 2008-09 tours was Hashim Amla’s inability to have a serious impact against the Australians. Amla scored four half-centuries in the six Tests but his best score was 59, and his failure to capitalise on those starts was all the more baffling as he looked so impressive while at the crease. Since then he has scored six hundreds in 14 Tests and averaged 65.31 and peaked as the No.2-ranked batsman in the world. Will that be the Amla who turns up for this series?
