Slick South Africa set the standard

With next summer’s Ashes series on the horizon it would be easy to react to Australia’s series deciding defeat to South Africa by going on about the terminal decline of the Aussie team.

As ever though, there are two sides to the story and before we get too cock-a-hoop (to use an Aussie term) about the woes of Ponting’s side, it would be worth taking a moment to consider the strength of their opposition.

South Africa came into the present series having won of nine out of 13 tests this year and lost just two (one was against England in a dead rubber and the other was in India in a drawn series – better than England or Australia managed).

They are a formidable unit led by one of the most forceful characters in world cricket in Graeme Smith, who just happens to be about the finest opening batsman as well.

Jacques Kallis has long ranked amongst the finest run-makers in test cricket, while the likes of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers have also developed into world class batsmen.

Add to that an inspired effort by JP Duminy in only his second test at the MCG and you can see why the Aussies had problems bowling the Proteas out.

But it was with the ball where the South Africans really outclassed Australia, with Dale Steyn – arguably the best pace bowler in the world this year – ably supported by Makhaya Ntini, Morne Morkel and the swing of Kallis.

Paul Harris has also proved an uncomplicated and underrated bowler, almost in the Ashley Giles mould, and has chipped in with wickets at vital moments.

It is not just this array of individual talent but also a collective strength engendered by Smith that has created a potent unit that operates with a kind of ruthless efficiency normally associated with their current opponents.

If South Africa win the final test at the SCG they will overhaul the Aussies at the top of the test rankings and they do look like a team worthy of inheriting that mantle.

The Australians might be showing signs of fallibility but it has taken two great sides at the peak of their powers to expose their weaknesses.

Their other defeat lately of course coming from an Indian side who have just proved to England how strong they are, particularly on their own pitches.

Yes, the current Australian side is as weak as it has been for the past 15 years but they have set some pretty high standards and are by no means a ramshackle outfit.

You just need to look at the way they could have one both of the past two tests against this top South African side were it not for a brief dip in standards during a couple of key sessions.

So before we get too confident about the summer of 2009, let’s make sure our own house is in order first.