It says a lot that SA beat Australia in the first ODI in Perth on Sunday with significantly more ease than they were able to deal with Zimbabwe in October. That probably speaks more to the plight of an Australia team who have now lost 10 of their 11 ODIs in 2018 rather than sudden strength in the SA ranks. Australians will make the point that they are without David Warner and Steve Smith‚ their key one-day batsmen‚ who have been banned for ball-tampering. South Africans will counter with the fact that Hashim Amla and JP Duminy are also missing‚ and for the far more honourable reason of injury. The Australians were put in to bat on a lively pitch and dismissed for 152‚ their lowest total of 2018‚ in 38.1 overs and SA replied with 153/4 to win with 20.4 overs remaining. The visitors were kickstarted by Dale Steyn‚ who beat Travis Head with the first delivery of the match‚ which screamed across the left-hander and past his off-stump‚ and took his two wickets in the space of three deliv...
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