As far as I know, only two people have picked up on this, myself and a loyal Cape Talk listener. South Africa beat Australia 2 - 1 in the test series down under, with Australia coming back to take both T20 internationals. The South Africans then gave the Baggy Greens a 4 - 1 hammering in the one-day internationals. On the South African leg, Australia won the test series 2 - 1 with the Proteas coming back to win both T20's. Now the ODi's lie ahead and possibly a 4 - 1 beating for the South Africans in the series. Could there be another twist in this remarkable! duel between the world's top two cricket playing nations? I tend to think not. Yes, the home and away series' have been complete mirror images but surely Australia can't win the ODI's by the same margin the Proteas did. All we can do is watch the final chapter of this intriguing series unfold.
It all starts at Kingsmead this afternoon when the two teams go head to head in the first one-dayer. This is the same venue where Aussie spearhead Mitchell Johnson gave Proteas captain Graeme Smith an unwanted rest by breaking his finger during the second test. It's also the venue where South Africa were bowled out for a poultry 138 in that same test so the Aussies will feel the ground has been smiling on them of late.
On the other hand, the Proteas are fresh off that T20 clean-sweep and it must've done wonders for their confidence heading into the ODI's. There aren't too many changes from the T20 team to the ODI team so they'll d! efinitely carry over the momentum.
Despite Jacques ! Kallis' unavailability, the starting eleven still look very strong with a top five comprising of Smith, Gibbs, Amla, De Villiers and Duminy. You get the sense at least one these batsmen will go all the way today. The bowling attack doesn't look that bad either with Steyn, Morne Morkel and Ntini as the frontline seamers and Albie Morkel the medium-pacer and of course the talismanic Johan Botha as the sole spinner. Definitely a side that can do the business tonight, but as the old adage goes, a game is not won on paper.
