Australia opt for all-pace attack
Australia enter the series hanging on by a fingernail to their No. 1 Test ranking
Match facts
February 26-March 2, 2009Start time 10.30am (08.30GMT)
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Big Picture
South Africa's tour of Australia was such a short while ago that it feels like this is the fourth Test in a six-match series. Following their 2-1 win, South Africa headed home and their players had a break of sorts, although there was some domestic cricket on the calendar. Australia faced New Zealand in a one-day contest before rushing to the airport to set off for Johannesburg. Australia enter the series hanging on by a fingernail to their No. 1 Test ranking. They avoided handing it over at the SCG last month but a South African series win this time will mean the end of the long reign of Ricky Ponting's men.Form guide (last five Tests, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWWAustralia WLLWW
Watch out for
Dale Steyn lived up to the hype in Australia and finished as the leading wicket taker and was a major reason why South Africa won the series. On his home pitches he will again prove a handful, particularly if the prodigious swing that is expected does happen. As if he wasn't threatening enough, he has spent his time off toughening up by wrestling crocodiles.Team news
South Africa have named a 12-man squad for the first Test and there isn't much doubt about who will play. The left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been included but will almost certainly be the man to miss out as the settled group that beat Australia at home continues its push for the No. 1 spot. The spinner Paul Harris is likely to play in a team that was so good in Australia that Prince could not break back into the side having fully recovered from his broken thumb.Pitch and conditions
There was some rain in the lead-up to the match, which meant that until a couple of days ago the players had not seen the pitch, which was covered by a tent-like structure that allowed the groundsmen to continue working on it. However, both teams are expecting plenty of swing, particularly on the first day, while it could be hard going for batsmen and spinners. There are further storms forecast for the first few days of the Test.Stats and Trivia
- Jacques Kallis needs 12 runs to become the first South African to reach 10,000
- AB de Villiers will become the fourth South African to play 50 consecutive Tests
- Australia have won the last three Tests between the two sides at the Wanderers and two of the successes were innings victories
Quotes
"We've spoken about the moments of the last series where we were a bit deficient. The guys have learnt a lot from those moments and what we have to do better next time. We can't forget that some of these guys are playing their fourth, fifth, some of them are playing their first Test out here."Ricky Ponting on the eve of the Test.
AB de Villiers wants to bat first but thinks there would be benefits in sending Australia in.
Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo