Australia deserve to lay claim to being the best Test cricketing team in the world. The red tape of the current standings mean that they are not allowed to officially do so. But having beaten top dogs South Africa on their own turf, it is plain to see where the reality lies. With perennial bad travellers India arriving on Australian shores for a four-Test series next summer, it seems only a matter of time before things are put in true perspective. As an Englishman, it hurts me to say that but the Aussies deserve all the accolades that may come their way after a gripping series. They left it late on the final day in Cape Town to seal a 2-1 series verdict as South Africa looked like doing a repeat of their “great escape” in Adelaide in November 2012. However, in the end, Ryan Harris’s last-gasp heroics did the trick. If the Proteas had held out, skipper Michael Clarke would have had only himself to blame. For once his tactics seemed out of sync on the fourth day when he appeared to delay his declaration needlessly. Fair enough, the Aussies were scoring runs at a phenomenal rate and South Africa were backpedalling to such an extent that they had every fielder located on the boundary. Yet Clarke’s dilly-dallying indicated a rare lack of perspective. He must have been a relieved man when things worked out after a long, hot final day of South African resistance. Graeme Smith’s men deserve much applause for the way they kept going in the face of an apparent hopeless task. The plucky resistance put England’s recent feeble efforts in Australia in an even more embarrassing light. At the end of sparkling summer, Australia have turned their fortunes round completely. After the 4-0 rout in India, then arriving in England looking like a rabble for the Northern Ashes series and suffering another beating, such an outcome would have appeared fanciful, if not ridiculous. It’s been a phenomenal team effort with spectacular individual performances from Mitchell Johnson and Dave Warner. Pocket rocket Warner has been described by Proteas’ coach Allan Donald as the most dangerous batsman since Brian Lara. Quite an accolade. And well merited. Indeed, Warner has progressed from being a Big Bash novelty act to a bona fide Test great. What a shame he appears to be such a prat. Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to spout some new drivel. Still, he’s a sportsman not an orator. Sadly that image seems to live with the Aussies. Even Clarke let himself down with his foul-mouthed rant at Dale Steyn as things got heated in the final stages of the Test. With umpires and players having to intervene, Clarke displayed boorish behaviour that was straight from the Roy Keane school of footballing diplomacy when the Irish midfielder was at his spiteful best for Manchester United. It’s all very well coming out with profuse apologies after the event, but it’s not a good look. Is this what the Aussies call “playing good, hard cricket” or a stressed captain sparking an outbreak of childish bullying tactics towards opponents and umpires? In the end, such playground tantrums could not take anything from an absorbing series. Michael Holding spoke for many of us from the TV commentary box as the last day unfolded. He jokingly said: “Breaking news – the three Twenty20 games have been cancelled and we are going to have an extra Test.” If only, Mikey, if only… Wonderful wishful thinking on his part.
thedaverosecolumn 