Marco Madness
It was getting towards lunch on Day 4 of the second South Africa vs Australia Test when Marco Jansen came back on for his second spell. The pitch at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha was easing out. The ball was softer too. Australia had Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw set. This was the crucial moment in the game, because South Africa also taken early wickets, and then conditions eased off as the ball got older. Smith had stopped scoring entirely, Renshaw was in strike rotation mode.
The 30th over was kind of the tipping point. If Australia held out for the next five overs, that might have been enough to build a score. If not to get near South Africa, at least take time out of the game.
Instead, Jansen bowled a back of a length ball Renshaw pushed it to gully and was caught. Two deliveries later he got an even fuller ball to leap up at Alex Carey and Australia’s chance was gone.
If you look at his five wickets, four were from bounce, and one was on a length nipping back past Travis Head’s bat. So when the pitch was there to bowl on a length, he did his bit, and as it eased off, he went back to his length.
When South Africa batted, they lost Ryan Rickleton in the 40th over after he had looked much more settled. From then on in, Australia found wickets almost impossible.
Pat Cummins was Australia’s last wicket, and he was out in the 43rd over.
Jansen basically stopped Australia from getting to the period where the pitch could have been easier. Now, maybe Australia still screw it up; their batting is paper thin. But by not reaching that stage of the game, they were done.
The pitch helped, but Jansen helped far more.
