South Africa v Australia, 2013-14

At Centurion, February 12-15, 2014. Australia won by 281 runs. Toss: South Africa. Test debut: A. J. Doolan.

The opponents were new, but the story was the same. After flattening England on his own soil, Mitchell Johnson now obliterated the No. 1 Test nation on theirs. Generating vicious pace and hostility, he twice cut a swathe through the batting, claiming 12 wickets and hastening an emphatic defeat, South Africa's first in home Tests for more than two years. This wasn't what spectators at Centurion Park had come to expect. In 18 previous matches here, South Africa had lost only once - and that was the tainted game in January 2000, when Hansie Cronje's determination to avoid a draw, and so please the bookies, paved the way for an England win.

Local supporters had in fact come to expect that their own fast bowlers - Steyn in particular - would lay waste to touring teams by making best use of a lively pitch. It was precisely that, but ran contrary to forecast in one regard, drying rapidly after more than a week's heavy rain, and sporting undulations that suited Johnson's slingy speed. As bowlers pitched short, so 31 byes and 30 wides accrued - largely from balls that soared over leaping wicketkeepers.

Three times before here, Graeme Smith had chosen to bowl and led South Africa to an innings victory, but some suspected the threat of Johnson influenced him this time. Whatever his rationale, Smith might have looked more closely at a surface that grew more demanding as the match wore on. Initially, his decision seemed a good one, with the seamers reducing Australia to 98 for four. Warner chose his stroke poorly, Rogers and Clarke fell to short balls, while Alex Doolan, a Tasmanian making his Test debut aged 28, picked out midwicket with a well struck pull to end a graceful innings. That brought together Marsh - flown in to replace the lame Watson, despite scant preparation - and Steven Smith. Instincts honed at the pacy WACA served Marsh well: he left the ball skilfully, and punished errors of length as the early bounce and movement eased. Smith was just as judicious, adding patience to a technique that had sometimes appeared flamboyant. Together they made South Africa sweat, accelerating steadily through the afternoon and exploiting the absence of the recently retired Jacques Kallis, as well as some porous fielding.

After sharing a stand of 233, both fell on the second morning to herald a swift end to the innings. All the same, a total of 397 looked handy. Within minutes, it had assumed leviathan proportions, as Johnson tore in with a vigour that both terrified and excited. Graeme Smith failed to evade a helmet-seeking missile as the ball thudded into his bat handle before it was pouched by Marsh, running back from the slips. Petersen edged a panicky swish, and du Plessis - in the Kallis slot at No. 4 - gloved one that reared impossibly; before he knew what happened, he had been caught by Clarke. De Villiers mounted a brave and skilful counter-attack, but South Africa never recovered from that opening blast. Johnson finished with seven, and Australia with a lead of 191 - plus a major psychological advantage.

Steyn struck back when Australia batted again, but Warner and Doolan pressed home their superiority. Three times Warner was reprieved, betraying the addled minds and tense hands of the fielders, and the speed of his scoring rubbed salt into the wounds. Doolan's unhurried assurance was a welcome sight for selectors who had plumped for him and Marsh on the hunch that their methods suited South Africa, even if recent domestic scores had been modest. Clarke batted on briefly on the fourth morning, enough time to convince him the pitch had moved from challenging to dangerous. With nearly two days to survive - or make an implausible 482 - South Africa again fell prey to Johnson, who in his 57th Test claimed his 250th wicket when Petersen edged a length ball. Smith was unfortunate that his flick flew straight to short leg, where Doolan held a screamer. In between, Amla had worn a ball on his beard-cum-grille.

The cricket had become an alarming spectacle. Again, the only concerted resistance came from de Villiers, who watched as Johnson clonked McLaren on the side of the head with such force he was ruled out of the next Test. South Africa's tail twitched fearfully at the crease while Australia stormed to a victory as significant for its size as its repercussions: was world cricket seeing a shift in the balance of power? The hosts were left to heed the words of de Villiers: "You can't show weakness. You've got to be prepared to get hurt."
Man of the Match: M. G. Johnson.