South Africa favourites to complete rare Aussie hat-trick

The shockwaves are still being felt Down Under after a truly seismic South Africa victory in the opening Test of their three-match series against Australia. After battling their way to a 177-run win at the Waca in Perth, in spite of losing the services of their veteran strike bowler Dale Steyn to a shoulder injury, they have given themselves an extraordinary shot at winning a remarkable third consecutive series win in Australia.

Bet365 certainly reckons they are on course to pull it off. South Africa are currently 4/7 to complete their series win, with Australia an distant 11/2 to turn the contest on its head. Even so, precedent says that they should never be written off - the Aussies have lost only three home Test series in 23 years, two to South Africa and one to England in 2010-11.

How seriously will Steyn's absence affect South Africa's chances, though? Not significantly, if the bookies are to be believed. Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander remain a formidable strike pairing, and are both 5/2 to be their country's leading wicket-taker in the second Test at Hobart. For Australia, Mitchell Starc is 15/8 to be Australia's leading wicket-taker, at a venue where he claimed a matchwinning 5 for 63 in his last outing, against Sri Lanka in 2012.

Both sides, incidentally, are priced at 3/1 to claim the most run-outs in the Test - although there's no question which of the two teams has its eye in, given Temba Bavuma's match-seizing marvel from short cover in the first Test.