Peter Siddle says Faf du Plessis's comments were funny ahead of Test series

Peter Siddle in an earlier Test against South Africa

The Australians are a fiery side when it comes to playing mind games with their opposition. This time, it’s Peter Siddle, the Australian fast bowler, who has taken a dig at the South Africans ahead of the Test series which is scheduled to start from 3 November. The South African cricket team arrived in Adelaide on 18 October to start their tour and stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis said that South Africa had inflicted some mental scars on Australia during a recent ODI series whitewash.

Before leaving to Australia, Faf had said in a press conference that the Proteas had an edge going into the Test series. He said, "To beat Australia the way we did, really convincingly and not giving them a sniff, will leave a bit of a scar on them mentally."

However, Siddle lashed out at du Plessis's comments and said that he found it quite funny. "That's what I sort of giggled at ... it's a totally different side. They played an inexperienced Australian side over there in that ODI series," Siddle was quoted by The Australian. He went on to add that, "They're good comments but it puts more pressure on them ... talking a big game puts more pressure on them." 

The South Africans will be facing the Australians in a three-match Test series and the series is expected to be an intense one as the Australians will be looking wipe out the humiliation suffered during the ODI series in South Africa earlier this month.

Pretty tame with AB de Villiers

Siddle also brushed aside AB de Villiers‘s comments on being at the receiving end of abuse from the Australian side, which he termed as the worst of his career. Siddle was quoted as saying, "No it wasn't any more heated than any other series... he must never have been sledged before if that's the case." He further added that, "We were pretty tame, I think, compared to probably past eras and past teams. He must have had some pretty quiet games in his career."

Siddle also said that the hype surrounding Kagiso Rabada will be put to silence during the Test series. "It'll be interesting to see how he goes over here in a big series. There will be a fair bit of pressure on him," Siddle said. "In the past, other countries have brought out players like that , you sort of think of Steve Finn a few Ashes series ago when they brought him out.”

Siddle was sidelined for about six months due to a back injury and is hoping to be fit for the first Test against the South Africans on 3rd November. With Siddle, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood set to return for the Australians, the team is looking forward to giving the South African a run for their money.