South Africa found form and success in Port Elizabeth while Australia slipped to perhaps the team’s most abject performance since Michael Clarke replaced Ricky Ponting as captain. The result means the third match at Kingsmead is a series decider, and also a chance for one side or the other to carry useful momentum into the Test series. Both sides will have the benefit of significant reinforcements for the five-day matches, but there will also be those in the ODI teams pressing to be included or retained.
Australia have a headache surrounding the fitness of Shane Watson, who is yet to bowl in training after suffering from back spasms at St George’s Park. The flair-up followed a hip complaint that kept him out of the first ODI, and Watson’s history of suffering injuries in bunches will be at the back of Clarke’s mind, even though his vice-captain has been far more durable over the past two years. Clarke will also want more from his pace bowlers, who were taken for plenty of new-ball runs at the hands of Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith.
Morne Morkel’s hostile and intelligent bowling was perhaps the most ominous performance from a South Africa player in the second ODI, and took him top he top of the ICC rankings. The stand-in captain Hashim Amla will want more of the same from Morkel and Dale Steyn as they build to a peak for the Tests. JP Duminy can push for a Test batting spot with more runs in Durban, while Amla himself would appreciate a better day out than the last – a first-ball duck at the hands of Doug Bollinger.
Hashim Amla has had a mixed time of it as South Africa’s interim captain, and a victory in Durban would allow him to hand a more confident team back to Graeme Smith after the trials of the World Cup and the challenge of returning from a lengthy hiatus. Equally critical for Amla is the fact that he is yet to make a score of note in four innings against Australia on this trip, tallying only 32 runs. Given his pivotal place in the Test batting order, Amla needs to build some confidence of his own against the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Patrick Cummins.
Australia’s last limited overs fixture before February means this is likely the last time Doug Bollinger will be seen in the national strip till then. Bollinger is still fighting the deeply-held views of the national selectors and others that he is not fit enough to sustain his efforts in a Test match.
