First Test player previews

Much of the speculation surrounding the opening game of the three-match Australia-South Africa series has focused on the nature the Centurion pitch, which has historically and emphatically favoured fast bowler. But here’s a look at the likely line-ups that will go head to head in today’s highly anticipated opener
 
Australia
 
David Warner
 
Where he’s at: Finished the Ashes series as Australia’s highest runs scorer, and cemented his place in the Test line-up after falling foul of the selectors with two series shaping centuries. Has tightened his defence and found more judicious shot selection to match his unquestioned ball striking capacity and aggressive mindset.

The road ahead: The skill and experience of South Africa’s pace attack will provide a definitive snapshot of where Warner is at as a Test match opener. While England’s bowlers failed to probe his frailties outside off stump he can expect no such latitude from Steyn, Philander and Morkel and the South Africans will know that tying him down for any length of time can lead him to try shots that carry considerable risk.
 
Chris Rogers

Where he’s at: With centuries in each of the final two Ashes Tests, Chris Rogers can – for the first time in his late-blooming Test career – breathe easy in the knowledge that his place is not in jeopardy, at least for this series. Even though he’s not played in South Africa previously, he knows his game and his limitations so well that the alien conditions should not present an insurmountable hurdle.
 
The road ahead: Will be crucial in blunting South Africa’s pace attack with his ability to nudge, deflect and survive. Hasn’t enjoyed the best of preparations having copped some brutal treatment from his own quicks in practice and failing to post a score in the sole trial match, but boasts the temperament and technique to pass the searching examination that will follow.

Alex Doolan
 
Where he’s at: Was identified as next cab off the rank during the Ashes series and, with the demotion of George Bailey from in the team to totally off the radar, the rank has now moved one berth. Renowned as a classical stroke-maker who can find a way to score boundaries, it will be more his mental than his technical aptitude that will dictate his longevity at Test level.
 
The road ahead: Likely to be thrown to the wolves as No.3 batsman now that Shane Watson has succumbed to injury. No doubt he will be targeted both physically and verbally by the South Africans, who believe a novice at first drop might provide easy inroads into a fragile middle-order.
 
Michael Clarke
 
Where he’s at: The euphoria that accompanied the Ashes whitewash effectively covered over the fact that the captain’s contribution tapered off in the back half of the series. In fact, he hasn’t posted a score of substance in any format since his match-winning century in Adelaide in early December. But he remains head and shoulders his team’s best batsman and the wicket the South Africans will cherish most dearly.
 
The road ahead: Conceded towards the end of the Australian summer that he needs to tighten his defence and had his stumps rattled on more than a couple of occasions of late. Suggested in pre-match media conference that he might consider putting himself up the order to three, but is likely to stay at four which means inexperienced batsmen either side of him.
 
Steven Smith
 
Where he’s at: Was probably the batting find of the Ashes summer, having begun the series with whispered questions about his claims to a place in Australia’s top five, finishing with 327 runs at a tick over 40 with counter-punching centuries in Perth and Sydney. May also be called upon to toss down a few overs of legspin if the South African batting gets away, though they remain a very part-time option at best.
 
The road ahead: Having shored up his place, Smith can play with even more freedom than his often expansive batting game normally reveals. The South African bowlers will know he likes width and will play shots regardless of the match situation, so they will look to starve rather than blast him out. A short-pitched attack plan would only play into Smith’s hands.
 
Shaun Marsh
 
Where he’s at: Was anointed ahead of Phil Hughes as the extra batsman when the touring party was first announced and, even though he suffered his own injury setback before Shane Watson’s offered him a second chance, he resumed his place in the queue when he joined the squad. An elegant player whose spectacular run of failures against India three years ago led some to believe his talent would never be realised, he is highly thought of by senior members of the Australian set up.
 
The road ahead: Will find himself under enormous scrutiny, if only because his recent first-class record is far inferior to that of Hughes who was also vying for the batting berth vacated by George Bailey’s axing. If there remains weak spots in his technique, expect the South African pace bowlers to spot them quickly and zero in relentlessly.

Brad Haddin
 
Where he’s at: The only question that remains of Australia’s reliable ‘keeper-batsman is how long can he continue to bail out his top order batting colleagues when they succumb to the new ball. Showed the batting form of his life during the Ashes, and his clean hitting and positive intent repeatedly took the game away from England when they thought they’d established a foothold. As far as his glovework goes, as impeccably neat and flawless as ever. 
 
The road ahead: After the skipper, he will be the South Africans' most prized wicket simply because he can score quickly and heavily if he’s allowed to spend any time at the crease. Unafraid to hit the ball in the air and oblivious to any mindset other than attack, the South Africans will undoubtedly bowl full in the hope of getting him to drive and therefore bring catchers fore and aft of the wicket into play. 
 
Mitchell Johnson
 
Where he’s at: The name on everyone’s lips, and has announced himself as potentially the series’ biggest drawcard from the moment the Australians landed in South Africa late last month. His return in the Ashes campaign transformed him into a national hero and he has given no indication that the remarkable form that netted him 37 wickets against England is on the wane.

The road ahead: According to the slightly biased assessment of Australian bowling coach and former Test great Craig McDermott, Johnson looks to be in even better touch in South Africa than he was during the Australian summer. His role in this series will be very clear – be fast, be hostile and use everything at his disposal to rough up a usually unflappable South African top order.

Ryan Harris
 
Where he’s at: Seems to keep getting better and better with each successive Test appearance, which is no small achievement given he boasts an outstanding Test record of 93 wickets at less than 20 from his 17 Tests. He was the perfect foil to Johnson’s brutality during the Ashes, dropping the ball regularly on a sixpence and generating enough movement to leave England’s batsmen bereft of confidence and answers.
 
The road ahead: Now that he’s had a chance to rest following his gruelling Ashes workload, Harris is primed and ready to take the new ball against South Africa’s vaunted top order. His form in practice sessions leading into this first Test has been outstanding, and the grass cover and likelihood of late swing at Centurion will have him licking his lips.
 
Peter Siddle
 
Where he’s at: The unsung hero of Australia’s dominant bowling attack during the Ashes, Siddle performed the role for which he was targeted – maintaining great discipline, creating pressure and capturing crucial breakthroughs – with aplomb. With Harris, he is another who will have benefited greatly from the rest he was able to take following the Ashes series and has played little competitive cricket for the past month.
 
The road ahead: Will also be sporting a wide smile having the seen the grass cover and the pace and bounce that will be on offer to the pace bowlers at Centurion. If he’s able to persist with his ‘pitch and up and swing it’ instructions, he is likely to trouble the best of the South African batsmen and – as was the case with Kevin Pietersen during the Ashes – has a great record against the home team’s best batsman, Hashim Amla.

Nathan Lyon
 
Where he’s at: The feel good story of the Australian summer, Lyon cemented his place in the Test line-up so solidly that it’s tough to imagine him being left out of the starting XI even in conditions such as Centurion that clearly favour the quicks. While not a prodigious spinner of the ball, the changes he’s made to his action and his line of attack, especially to right-handed batsmen, mean the bounce he generates has become his most potent weapon.
 
The road ahead: Seemed a chance Lyon would be squeezed out of the XI a couple of days ago when the Centurion pitch radiated nothing but green. But with warm, sunny weather forecast for the duration of the match and the possibility that if the wicket flattens out somebody might have to bowl a lot of overs, he is not only back in the reckoning but looms as a genuine wicket-taking threat.

Jackson Bird (possible 12th man)
 
Where he’s at: Hasn’t played first-class cricket since being sent home from the 2013 Ashes series in England with a back injury sustained in the fourth Test. While his only lead-up cricket prior to this tour was the KFC Big Bash League, he showed enough control, pace and swing in that shortened format to place him ahead of James Pattinson on the auxiliary bowlers’ list.
 
The road ahead: Was rated a chance to play in place of Lyon when the pitch appeared likely to be a batting minefield that would be relished by the seamers. But a change in the weather that has brought about similar transformations in the surface for the Test means a spinner now seems obligatory for both captains and that Bird will be required only to carry the drinks.
 
South Africa

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Graeme Smith
 
Where he’s at: As the only player to have captained his nation in more than 100 Tests, Smith’s place in the annals of South African – indeed world cricket – greats is already assured. But he is acutely aware that the one glaring blemish in his country’s sporting history since re-admission, apart from a major international trophy, is a series win over Australia at home. It is that piece of captaincy history that will drive his ultra-competitive nature.
 
The road ahead: Although he averaged more than 62 in the recent two-Test series against India, he will feel that he missed out on a score of significance having recorded a top score of 62. The battle with the Australian bowlers brings out the best in his technically limited but unquestionably prolific batting, and he will carry clear memories of having his hand smashed by Mitchell Johnson when the pair resume their battle.
 
Alviro Petersen
 
Where he’s at: Like fellow opener Chris Rogers, something of a late bloomer at Test level having made his Test debut in 2010 not long before turning 30 when he announced his arrival with a century against India. Although right-handed, he is similar in technique to Smith in that he prefers to score his runs through the leg side and is regarded as compact and solid rather than dashing and entertaining.
 
The road ahead: His slightly unorthodox technique might offer the Australian attack some opportunities, especially for Johnson if he is able to angle and swing the ball away from the right-hander as Petersen tries to work him to the leg side. Played just one Test for a single innings in the recent series against India, but scored a tidy half century and his union with Smith will be crusial in blunting and frustrating Australia’s pace attack.

Hashim Amla
 
Where he’s at: Rated by many good judges as the best batsman in the South African team even though his teammate AB de Villiers currently sits above him in the world rankings. His typically sub-continental batting style, which reflects his heritage, sees him regularly take himself to the off side and work the ball through leg with strong but supple wrists. When he gets going he can bat for long periods, as underlined by his unbeaten triple century in England two years ago.
 
The road ahead: Will remain a prized wicket for the Australians, even though he returned – by his own standards – a comparatively poor return with no score above 50 from three innings against India. As unflappable as he is skilful, Amla will doubtless be targeted with some short stuff to see if he can be ruffled and the nagging line and length that Peter Siddle invariably bowls has succeeded against him in the past.

AB de Villiers
 
Where he’s at: Currently, the top of the ICC world Test batting rankings, which underscores the depth and the talent that the South Africans have at their fingertips. The fact that he hasn’t played any competitive cricket since undergoing hand surgery at the completion of the recent series against India might potentially lessen his impact against the Australian attack. He is also a brilliant and highly athletic wicketkeeper who gives the South Africans great flexibility with their line-up
 
The road ahead: Batted without discomfort and struck the ball well in his belated appearance in his team’s three-day trial match last week, his first hit-out after hand surgery. An aggressive batsman who hates to be tied down, his preparedness to hit the ball in the air to break the shackles will convince the Australians to give him nothing to hit in the hope of forcing a mistake.
 
JP Duminy
 
Where he’s at: Came to the attention of Australian cricket fans when he made his debut in the Perth Test of the 2008-09 series and helped his team pull off a record run chase, then followed up with a sublime century in Melbourne. While batting is his mainstay and he is an elegant left-handed strokemaker, his left-arm orthodox bowling plays an important role in a South African that prizes flexibility and variety. 
 
The road ahead: Another who did not enjoy the most fruitful series against India, with a return of just 35 runs from three innings. His preparation was not helped by the fact that he suffered a slight wrist injury while playing in South Africa’s Test warm-up match, and the Australians will see him as a potential weak link in an otherwise daunting top six.
 
Faf du Plessis
 
Where he’s at: Another who is known to Australians due to his deeds on Australian soil, in du Plessis’s case the game-saving century he scored to ensure a draw in Adelaide in 2012 that paved the way for a series win in Perth immediately after. Having come to prominence originally in the limited-overs form of the game, he is an attacking batsman and a superb fielder as his stunning catch at short cover during the Indian series showed.
 
The road ahead: Despite being perhaps the least-known of his team’s top six batsmen, du Plessis was South Africa’s leading runs scorer in the Indian series (197 at 65.66) and notched the highest individual score of 134. The Australian bowlers will be aware that his capacity to score heavily and quickly if a foundation has been laid, or occupy the crease as he did in Adelaide, means he represents a sizeable stumbling block en route to the lower order.
 
Ryan McLaren
 
Where he’s at: Enters the series with probably the toughest assignment in cricket – to fill the shoes of legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis who retired at the end of the India series late last year. Even though he’s played just one Test, McLaren is no new kid on the cricket block at age 31 and with 40 one-day internationals to his name. He is the latest in a long line of hard-hitting South African all-rounders.
 
The road ahead: Will be reminded on a regular basis by the Australians that he is following in the giant shadow cast by Kallis, in the hope that it will erode his confidence and self-belief. But if the South African top order can lay a platform, McLaren is the sort of batsman who can take the game away from the tourists in a hurry and his aggressive seam bowling should not be under-estimated despite his auxiliary all-rounder status.
 
Robin Peterson
 
Where he’s at: One of the tougher jobs in cricket is to bowl spin for a Test team that has built its game plan and reputation around fast bowling for so long. The fact that Peterson has come in and out of the team, in a revolving door with legspinner Imran Tahir who has been cut from the squad, and succeed when needed underscores coach Russell Domingo’s assessment that he’s one of the toughest cricketers he’s seen.
 
The road ahead: Peterson will be ruthlessly targeted by the Australian batsmen in the same way they took down England’s Graeme Swann at every opportunity during the Ashes. They have been speaking along those lines (through David Warner who claimed Peterson had a chip on his shoulder) and exhibiting it in the way they have played spin bowlers in their warm-up practice sessions. But as Peterson showed in Perth two years ago, that also opens the door for him to claim wickets and he’s certainly up for the fight.

Vernon Philander
 
Where he’s at: Usurped new-ball partner Dale Steyn as the top rated bowler on the ICC world Test bowler rankings at the conclusion of the India series, and poses a huge threat as his record would suggest. In that series, he became the fastest South African bowler to reach 100 Test wickets (in terms of Tests played) which – when you consider some of those who have come before – makes him a force to be reckoned with. Like Mitchell Johnson, is also a very useful lower-order batsman.
 
The road ahead: Doesn’t do a great deal with the ball but, like Glenn McGrath for Australia and Ryan Harris of more recent times, he keeps putting the ball where the batsmen don’t want to see it. Bowls close to the stumps and his nagging full length means the movement he extracts off the pitch, and occasionally through the air, means lbw and catches behind the wicket are always in play. Especially when the ball is new. 
 
Dale Steyn
 
Where he’s at: Angry, fast and capable of taking bags of wickets in close proximity. Had enjoyed a bit of a lean spell by his own standards heading into the India series and his raw speed has dimmed a little now that he’s past 30, but he bounced back against India with a six-wicket haul and remains his team’s premier pace bowler, if not its highest ranked.
 
The road ahead: Has also endured an injury-interrupted preparation for this series after developing a rib problem during the India Tests. But he returned to bowling in the recent three-day warm-up match in Johannesburg and while he did not capture a bag of wickets he showed enough in his brief spells and in the manner he eased back into stride to suggest his best is not far away.
 
Morne Morkel
 
Where he’s at: A handy asset to come into the attack as first-change bowler, with his great height and tall action enabling him to generate steepling bounce and make life unpleasant for batsman. Is especially effective on pitches that offer a bit of seam movement, which Centurion is likely to do, and he is showing no signs of the ankle injury he sustained during the India series. The South Africans see him potentially as a major wicket taker.
 
The road ahead: Could yet prove to be the difference between the sides, as the South Africans believe their third-prong seamer is a far more threatening wicket-taking proposition than Peter Siddle is for Australia. The tourists, for their part, nurse doubts about Morkel’s durability and they are of the view that if they can keep him and his fellow quicks out and force them to bowl long and repeated spells, there’s a good chance Morkel won’t make it through the series.
 
Wayne Parnell
 
Where he’s at: Vying with McLaren for the dubious honour of trying to replace Kallis. Some claim he might even be a frontrunner for that berth after McLaren was seen working closely with the South African team physio during training yesterday. A hard-hitting left-hand batsman and left-arm medium-fast bowler, Parnell would bring a tough competitive mindset even though he’s played just three Tests.
 
The road ahead: Life has been pretty tough for South African all-rounders in the Kallis era, much like it was for legpspinners when Shane Warne was around for Australia. But given his natural talent, and the fact that he became the youngest player to receive a central contract from the South African board when he was awarded one as a 19-year-old, his chance will come - even if it’s not in the opening match of this series.