South Africa show their mettle against Australia

South Africa showed great mental strength to come back after the first Test defeat

Mitchell Johnson blew them away at Centurion. Port Elizabeth came, and more of the same was expected from a rampant Aussie side. But this is no ordinary side that we’re talking about. This is the number one Test side in the world and yesterday in PE, South Africa showed the world they are more than worthy of holding that coveted spot.

Champions know the art of winning, but what champions know better than others is the art of bouncing back. And that is exactly what South Africa showed. After the demolition at Centurion, many expected the old South Africa to resurface. The South Africa that crumbled under pressure. The South Africa that gave new dimensions to the term ‘choke’. But no. This Graeme Smith-led side has tonnes of self belief and self-confidence, that failure is not an option anymore, at least in South African Test cricket circles.

No doubt, the defeat at Centurion would’ve hurt. It would’ve hurt not just because they lost the match, but because of how they lost it. South Africa were never in the hunt right from day one, and after Shaun Marsh and Steve Smith scored centuries in the first innings, Mitchell Johnson took over and pummeled them into submission.

Yesterday was one day when South Africa showed the world why they are a worthy number one. With the weather forecast for day five not very encouraging, there were calls for Graeme Smith to make an early declaration. But no, Smith let Hashim Amla and JP Duminy carry on to add 80 runs to the total and then called them in.

When they went out to bowl, South Africa knew that the task facing them was anything but straight-forward. They were a bowler short thanks to Wayne Parnell’s injury, and in terms of spin options, they had only two part-timers in Dean Elgar and Duminy. Smith might have had further reason to worry when at tea, Australia had lost only one wicket.

But adversity is when champions find that extra yard. Adversity is when champions back themselves even more. Adversity is when champion teams find a hero. Yesterday, South Africa found that in Dale Steyn. On numerous occasions in the past, Steyn has delivered for South Africa, but yesterday, he found that extra yard when reverse wing came into the picture.

What made Steyn’s spell even better was the fact that he had an ordinary first spell. In that first spell, in search of swing, Steyn over-pitched far too often and was made to pay by Chris Rogers and David Warner. But, when he came back, the two deliveries he bowled to Michael Clarke and Steve Smith were perfect. He pumped his fist like he knew that there was something special waiting to happen.

This South African team may not go down among the greatest teams ever but the period of play after tea on day four will surely rank as among the greatest periods of play ever.