Staring at a huge deficit and not much hope in sight but to carry on in gritty fashion, Australia tasted their first innings defeat in eleven years as South Africa broke their silence in the Test series with a consolation win.
Paul Harris returned with a career best of six for 127 but it was not before the Australian tail fancied a few heroics rather late in the day. Australia knew that their comeuppance had come as they had to overcome 400 odd runs and then some in order to make South Africa bat again, let alone challenge them for a victory.
It certainly did not look easy as Harris got into the wicket taking mode and Australia had little to hold on to a 231 for six at tea. Tea would have been most appreciated in the South Africa dressing room but they had perhaps, in their merriment, forgotten there was still a job to do, though their victory was never really in threat.
Mitchell Johnson, the leading bowler for Australia in the absence of Brett Lee, had missed the opportunity of scoring his maiden Test century at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. But there would be no such trouble here in Cape Town. Tea and defeat notwithstanding, Johnson joined forces with Andrew MacDonald and the dup resurrected the Australian innings to respectability.
While MacDonald made his best score on this tour, a priceless feat personally but also ironically inconsequential for the team, Johnson would determined to make amends from the first Test. More blistering shots left the bat, one had to blink twice to make sure Virender Sehwag did not leave New Zealand for a late afternoon explosion in Newlands. Johnson was merciless as he was commanding.
An innings of great resolve, determination but also one that involved a lot of talent, flair and panache, Johnson is proving a valuable all rounder in the days when reports once again surface of Andrew Symonds finding himself drunk and in a bar! Perhaps Australia’s prayers have been coincidentally answered.
But still the ignominy of a defeat as rare as this could not escape them. Australia finished on 422 but ended up handing the South Africans a consolation victory after losing the first two tests and the series, this one by a thumping innings and twenty runs.
