South Africa hopes to challenge Australia at the WACA

The two top-ranked sides in Test cricket come face-to-face at the WACA on Wednesday for the first Test of what is expected to be an absorbing three-Test series. A cloud of vulnerability hangs over Australia, despite a routine 2-0 win in its latest Test series against New Zealand, and South Africa will look to seed it incessantly.

The last time the two sides met was in South Africa in 2006, and the Australians, hot in its Ashes 2005 revenge spree, cruised to a 3-0 whitewash. Much has changed since. The South Africans came a Kanpur dust bowl short of winning a Test series in India earlier this year, and a few months after that won a series in England. Pace, as always, is South Africa’s major weapon.

Dale Steyn’s pace and late swing, coupled with Morne Morkel’s bounce and Makhaya Ntini’s angle to Australia’s array of lefties should make for enthralling viewing on the WACA strip. The fourth frontline bowler remains a toss-up between left-arm spinner Paul Harris and a fourth pacer, 24-year-old left-armer Lonwabo Tsostobe, who bowled well enough in the two tour games to come into reckoning for a possible debut.

Until recently surpassed by Virender Sehwag, skipper Graeme Smith held the record for the most Test runs scored this year. He has forged a more-than-solid opening pairing with the hard-to-dislodge Neil McKenzie, and Hashim Amla has rid his batting of its early gawkiness, revealing a serene elegance that fetched him enough runs this year to mask Jacques Kallis’s indifferent form. Ashwell Prince and A.B. de Villiers match up to any No. five-and-six combination in world cricket.

Australia’s batting wears a similarly formidable look, apart from the worry of Matthew Hayden’s recent form. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s century against New Zealand should remove any doubts about his ability with the bat. But its bowling no longer summons the awe it once did, and an elbow injury to Stuart Clark has opened up a slot for the Victorian Peter Siddle, who showed glimpses of his skiddy threat in India.

Jason Krejza returns to the side after recovering from the ankle injury that kept him out of the New Zealand series.

The teams……

Australia :

Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (Capt.), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin (wk), Brett Lee, Jason Krejza, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson.

South Africa :

Graeme Smith (Capt.), Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, A.B. de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wk), Jean-Paul Duminy, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Monde Zondeki.