Manchester — SA’s fate‚ not for the first time in their England Test series, is in Vernon Philander’s hands in the fourth Test on Friday. The visitors’ destiny has not only been in his hands. In the first Test, at Lord’s, it was in Philander’s ankle — which was in recovery from being twisted by stepping awkwardly onto a boundary rope while playing for Sussex. And in his right hand‚ which was bruised by a delivery from James Anderson. SA lost that match by 211 runs. Nothing befell Philander before or during the second Test, at Trent Bridge‚ and SA won by 340 runs. In the third Test, at The Oval‚ Philander fell ill with a stomach virus on the first morning. SA went down by 239 runs. By the look of Philander at a media conference at Old Trafford on Wednesday‚ he had been drained of several kilograms but seemed good to go. So‚ Faf du Plessis‚ what will it be like to have a fit and firing Philander standing at the top of his run‚ new ball in hand? "Vernon will go through a fitness test [...
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