Australia’s Siddle ruled out of second Test against Proteas

That was a positive for me. The team’s shortcomings overseas have generally been cast aside as out of sight, out of mind by the time the record is set straight in the summer. I faced a brilliant spell from (Mitchell) Starc.

In JP Duminy, Dean Elgar (both scored centuries), Kagiso Rabada (named player of the match), Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock, the visitors have players who made important contributions with the bat and ball, and this helped them win the game.

“I tend to use my feet a fair bit and I suppose that’s not giving too much away because everyone’s got footage of everyone these days”. “When you’ve got big partnerships, it just looks easier”. The disappointing thing is we were off to flyer, obviously 0 for 158, and we lost 10 for 86.

Steve Smith has defended the culture of the Australian cricket team and hit back at criticism ahead of the second Test against South Africa. Instead they found themselves collapsing like a pack of cards against Philander, Rabada and a debutant spinner, Maharaj.

Du Plessis felt it was hard to manufacture the sort of steely self-belief that enabled such comebacks, suggesting it only comes from confidence and experience. Also, this is the first time since making their debut in 2004 that neither Dale Steyn nor De Villiers will be involved in a Test match for South Africa. “It will be different here”, du Plessis said. The final spot of the team would go to either of Morne Morkel or Kyle Abbott. I haven’t seen the pitch again today.

Captain Steven Smith said on the eve of the game there was a chance Australia would go in with “six genuine batsmen”, especially with the prospect of bad weather in Hobart, which would ease the workload on the bowlers.

“With the pink ball, the game’s played a little bit differently to the red ball, so just those experiences as a batter – where you can look to make your runs, where you’ve got to be a bit more cautions and the way the game ebbs and flows. There’s a possibility of that”.

The Proteas skipper was calm and articulate in his responses and even displayed a sense of humour.

Kagiso Rabada’s fourth five-wicket haul powered South Africa to victory in the first Test against Australia at the Waca yesterday.

“The mood in the camp is nice and relaxed and confident after what we’ve done in Perth”.

“They will bring a great insight to the team and their appointment highlights some of the depth we have in Australia in the coaching pathway system”.

Regarding the prospect of an all-out pace attack, Smith suggested “I’m not really sure that’s the way we’re thinking”. If we do that we can put some pressure on Australia. We try and pick and stick where we possibly can and encourage the guys and we get in trouble when we don’t pick and stick, we get in trouble when do pick and stick with you guys.

Top order: The top order is highly unlikely to change from the previous game as all the three batsmen were pretty good.