 South Africa will host the fourth and the final Test match against England
at Wanderers in Johannesburg. The tourists lead the series 1-0 and will look to
draw the game to win the series, whereas the South Africans, who had gone into
the series as favourites, will now look to go flat out for a win, and salvage
something out of the series.
Click for Live Score Card of South Africa vs EnglandIt has been an exciting series so far, with the English foiling two South Africa attempts to win the game thanks to a last wicket stand involving
Graham Onions. This has left the South African think-tank wondering about their
bowling strength, something that has looked to lack incision. Such has been
the South African woe that the selectors have got in Wayne Parnell, who
looks almost set to make his Test match debut, only months after playing in
the Under-19 World Cup!
The other bowler who was drafted into the squad was leg-spinner Tahir Imran,
but he has now been released because of his visa issues. Makhaya Ntini
has also been axed from the squad. This has meant that the South Africans will
continue to go with Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Paul Harris as three
of the four bowlers. The toss-up for the fourth bowler will be between Parnell
and Friedel de Wet, who had been suffering from a back injury in the previous
game at Cape Town. One almost gets a sense that Parnell will be playing in the
game.
From England's perspective, they will know that they cannot afford to play
for a draw. The side will need to play positively and with the talks of the
Wanderers pitch expected to be juicy and full of grass, it seems likely that
aggressive cricket is the only way forward.
The pitch will not only assist the home team but will also allow the English
bowling of the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graham Onions
to exploit the conditions. Especially if England bowl first like they had done
in the previous Test.
The quandary for both the captains in the game will be whether to bat or to
bowl first if they won the toss given that batting last under a pressure situation
is something that neither would want to do. And that would mean that the side
may have to bat first under moist and grassy conditions, making it doubly difficult
for the batsmen! This catch-22 situation will be an interesting one and will
add to the twists and the turns even before a ball is bowled in the game.
Both captains may want to lose the toss instead!
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