How about Imran Tahir? According to the Grandstand boys, it's the most number of runs conceded in a Test match for no wicket of all time. I guess we owed them a destroyed career after the Bryce McGain fiasco.

It puts Nathan Lyon's performance in to perspective also. He's done everything you could ask of an offie for mine. He's also a very handy number 11 bat because he values his wicket; it means if you've got a handy lower order batsman in with him they'll still bat as if they're planning to be in for a bit. None of that nonsense you used to see with NZ when they'd start throwing the bat as soon as Martin came in because they knew the innings would be over any minute.

How about Imran Tahir? According to the Grandstand boys, it's the most number of runs conceded in a Test match for no wicket of all time. I guess we owed them a destroyed career after the Bryce McGain fiasco.

Indeed. Very reminiscent of McGain in 2009.

Tahir tries to take a wicket with every delivery; he's very impatient and doesn't build pressure. Like any bad leggie, he overuses the googly and he can't get through an over without either a full toss or long hop. Lyon, on the other hand, reduces the bad balls (they're not completely gone, though) and is able to build pressure and bowl to a plan.

Indeed. Very reminiscent of McGain in 2009.

Tahir tries to take a wicket with every delivery; he's very impatient and doesn't build pressure. Like any bad leggie, he overuses the googly and he can't get through an over without either a full toss or long hop. Lyon, on the other hand, reduces the bad balls (they're not completely gone, though) and is able to build pressure and bowl to a plan.

No its worse that McGain.

I think we gave McGain only 11 overs in his debut.....

Tahir comes here with some overseas form. The only ball I reckon he overuses is the full toss and the short one. He is unable to string decent Test standard deliveries together. He is chopped liver. And the lack of a capable front line spinner could cost SA the series.

Pattinson apparently is out for the summer, which is disastrous. Horrendously, Mitchell Johnson's name is being bandied around the traps for Perth, apparently because he's taken wickets there before. Surely we've moved on from Mitch. Give Starc or Bird or Hazlewood a go.

Its a disaster to have both Cummins and Pattinson out for the summer. Damn

Starc will come in for Pattinson. I would give Hazlewood the 12th man role. Johnson is too mentally fragile to me. Bird at this stage has taken alot of wicket quickly but most would have been on the batting graveyard that is Bellerive Oval.

Hopefully Watson is fit to bowl, and even more hopefully, he lasts the whole match.

Its a disaster to have both Cummins and Pattinson out for the summer. Damn

Such a shame and so disappointing. I'm speaking from an Ashes tour perspective too.

Indeed. Very reminiscent of McGain in 2009.

Tahir tries to take a wicket with every delivery; he's very impatient and doesn't build pressure. Like any bad leggie, he overuses the googly and he can't get through an over without either a full toss or long hop. Lyon, on the other hand, reduces the bad balls (they're not completely gone, though) and is able to build pressure and bowl to a plan.

Loved it when he got a wicket yesterday (or was it the day before), and went nuts on the celebration, holding the hand up to the ear towards the crowd who obviously had been sticking it to him, only to have it reversed on referral... hahah

Such a shame and so disappointing. I'm speaking from an Ashes tour perspective too.

Agree HT. I was looking longer term. This summer would have been a wonderful primer to both bowlers.

Loved it when he got a wicket yesterday (or was it the day before), and went nuts on the celebration, holding the hand up to the ear towards the crowd who obviously had been sticking it to him, only to have it reversed on referral... hahah

I hate it when bowlers bowl no balls. Its unforgivable when a spinner no balls. Tahir has bowled 7 no balls in the Test.

Absorbing battle.

Really admire the SAs for their fight. They did it years ago with Rudolph against Warne on a flat dead deck in Perth.

Barring the unusual (yes cricket is a strange game) I think they will draw it.

FWIW, Australia is really missing Pattinson. The ability to bowl near or above 140kph (5 to 10kph faster than the other bowlers) is critical on 5 day old wickets that wear.

Damn you Faf!! But really well played in your first test. Outstanding 1st and 2nd innings. If it was not for Clarke's stamp on the series, I would have him for man of the match.

Not sure what happened here, Channel 9 cut away from the super over.

Amazing innings from FAF - deserves all the praise that should, and will, come his away.

Also credit to AB for a very, very uncharacteristic inning.

Crazy Test. No doubt we have 'lost' this draw and they 'won' it, no one would have given them a chance when Amla and Smith fell before tea on Day 4 and they were 4 down at stumps. But you can't blame the bowlers, they genuinely gave it their best. The pitch didn't deteriorate at all (was probably at its worst yesterday; there was no up/down like when Steyn got Clarke lbw), du Plessis played the innings of his life, de Villiers and Kallis were in the zone, and with Pattinson down, we not only lacked a strike bowler, but it meant we had to run Siddle into the ground.

Siddle was a legend, coming back late to take more wickets despite clearly having no energy left at all. Lyon got great spin and bounce where Tahir was completely ineffectual. Hilfenhaus was merely average and didn't threaten like he should have, but wasn't terrible.

In the end, though it's harsh to say, Wade may have dropped the Test when he dropped du Plessis off the second last ball before Tea. A terribly tough chance, of course, but had he held that, we probably could have done it. He was the difference.

What I saw of Lyon today wasn't great.

We were about 230 runs too many ahead .

I blame Pup.

What I saw of Lyon today wasn't great.

Really? I liked it. The pitch simply wasn't a threat at all; the bounce was consistent and easy to read and there were no cracks or holes or dints or anything, it was flat. I thought he did his best.

Jeez that was a tough bowling innings from Siddle. I can't remember in my life seeing a bowler as dead on his feet as he was and still tossing them down at 140kph like that (albeit with significantly less control for the last two overs). Du Plessis was brilliant as well, with ample support from de Villiers and Kallis on one leg. How important is Kallis to their side? Two absolutely crucial innings in this test as a cripple.

Gripping draw.

FAF may have won SA the series and maintained their No1 test team ranking.

If they go on and win/draw in Perth then he should be their man of the series.

What a truly great replacement for Duminy.

A truly epic battle between 2 top competitive teams.

I blame the pitch.......

Crazy Test. No doubt we have 'lost' this draw and they 'won' it, no one would have given them a chance when Amla and Smith fell before tea on Day 4 and they were 4 down at stumps. But you can't blame the bowlers, they genuinely gave it their best. The pitch didn't deteriorate at all (was probably at its worst yesterday; there was no up/down like when Steyn got Clarke lbw), du Plessis played the innings of his life, de Villiers and Kallis were in the zone, and with Pattinson down, we not only lacked a strike bowler, but it meant we had to run Siddle into the ground.

Siddle was a legend, coming back late to take more wickets despite clearly having no energy left at all. Lyon got great spin and bounce where Tahir was completely ineffectual. Hilfenhaus was merely average and didn't threaten like he should have, but wasn't terrible.

In the end, though it's harsh to say, Wade may have dropped the Test when he dropped du Plessis off the second last ball before Tea. A terribly tough chance, of course, but had he held that, we probably could have done it. He was the difference.

To me, our balance in the fast bowling dept' has caused us grief.

With Pattinson (No 1) and Siddle playing as (No 2) with Hilfenhaus (No 3), its too fragile at the topend.

The Ideal would to me be a Pattinson & Pat Cummins as the strike bowlers with Siddle or Hilfenhaus as 3rds.

At the moment it looks to me like we have one strike bowler (now injured) + Siddle + Hilfenhaus.

Get an injury to a strike bowler & we're exposed, as happened.

We can paper over the cracks with alrounders, but we need 2 strike bowlers & one stock bowler.(Siddle)

When Watson comes back in, it helps, but we have a lot of partime bowlers with suspect health issues. Clarke included.

Although the pitch did favour the batsmen, it provided a much better contest for the viewers. In contrast to the Gabba it had pace for the majority of the test which induces stroke play and runs whilst also making it easier for the quicks to get wickets. Although not enough in my mind, there was a bit if grass which aided swing conventionally and reverse. Also scores in each team's innings were inflated by the quick outfield and shorter boundaries: although no result was achieved it was due to individual heroics and injuries rather than a road.

meanwhile, over in India, what a magnificent innings from both Cook and KP, and bowling from Monty. . looks very encouraging for those of us that like seeing the old dart do well. .

Qestion is who plays in Perth?

Will both Siddle and Hilfenhaus be up to it, or after their big workload, will we see whole sale changes to the quicks so we have fresh bowlers with the short turn around?

Then there's the question of Pattinson's replacement? Do we go with Strac who's carried the drinks for the first two tests and probably deserves the call up? Or do we go a horses for courses approach and pick Mitchell Johnson who;s a WACA specialist who took an 8 for last time he played against RSA at that ground and also had that blistering spell against England in the Ashes?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd actually go with Johnson for the reasons above. Seasoned bowler, and if he fails to deliver then he can be stamped with the 'Never pick again' stamp.

My XI would be:

E. Cowan

D. Warner

S. Watson

R. Ponting (possibly last test)

M. Clarke

M. Hussey

M. Wade

M. Johnson

P. Siddle (if unfit replace with Hazlewood)

B. Hilfenhaus (if unfit replace with Hastings)

N. Lyon

12th Man: M. Starc

My XI would be:

E. Cowan

D. Warner

S. Watson

R. Ponting (possibly last test)

M. Clarke

M. Hussey

M. Wade

M. Johnson

P. Siddle (if unfit replace with Hazlewood)

B. Hilfenhaus (if unfit replace with Hastings)

N. Lyon

12th Man: M. Starc

Mine would be: -

E. Cowan

D. Warner

S. Watson

R. Ponting

M. Clarke

M. Hussey

M. Wade

M. Starc

P. Siddle

B. Hilfenhaus

N. Lyon

12th Man: Hastings

In: Watson and Starc.

Out: Quiney and Pattinson.

12th man Hastings.

Mitchell Johnson is a media beat up. If Pattinson/Cummins werent injured then we would not be talking about Johnson.

Watson (hopefully fit) should support Siddle and Hilfenhaus.

Who does Jackson Bird have to screw in order to at least enter the minds of selectors?

Who does Jackson Bird have to screw in order to at least enter the minds of selectors?

Was going to post something similar but you beat me to it.

27 wickets at a nudge over 20 and can't get a look in. Hazlewood's taken under 10 wickets. Nothing against the young kid, but would've thought 27 @ 20 wld be good enough. Hope he sticks at it and gets rewarded accordingly.

Starc should get the nod ahead of Johnson.

Saying that, think RSA still have the edge I feel.

Was going to post something similar but you beat me to it.

27 wickets at a nudge over 20 and can't get a look in. Hazlewood's taken under 10 wickets. Nothing against the young kid, but would've thought 27 @ 20 wld be good enough. Hope he sticks at it and gets rewarded accordingly.

Starc should get the nod ahead of Johnson.

Saying that, think RSA still have the edge I feel.

Its great the selectors actually go and watch the players rather than just reading the scores in the paper.

Jackson Bird is a potential talent but havent a number of his wickets have come on the newly relaid Bellerive oval which is proving to be a batsman's graveyard.

FWIW, I was a huge fan of Mitchell Johnson but this has tempered with the rollercoaster performances and attitude.