It wasn’t lavish, yet it was exactly right. Australia were able to deploy reverse swing in Durban, with Josh Hazlewood noting that it was a vital extra string to their bow as they took the series lead.
With more densely grassed surfaces in Australia, reverse has not been a big aspect of recent home Tests. The last time it played an important role on an Australian overseas tour was the 2022 trip to Pakistan, when Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins used it brilliantly to win the series in Lahore.
During Australia’s two-day warm-up match in Potchefstroom prior of the first Test, the quicks had hunted for reverse, even ordering the spin bowlers not to get sweaty hands on the wrong side of the ball, but it scarcely came in the game’s brief stints.
At Kingsmead, however, an abrasive surface and square aided in the ball’s natural degradation. There was speculation that it began in the 23rd over of the second innings when David Bedingham was trapped lbw, and it was clearly on display later in the innings before Hazlewood finished out the game with the second new ball, finishing with a career-best 6 for 49.
“It’s probably with Australia [pitches] being the green seamers, it just doesn’t get talked about at all,” Hazlewood replied. “If the ball makes it that deep into the innings, it still looks new. We were consistently reversed at SCG in previous years.
In South Africa, the wicket was gritty and extremely hard underfoot. We definitely got a hint of it in the first innings, and then as the game progressed, it just kind of deteriorated and you got a little more. We understood that was important.
“You probably want the ball a bit harder and a little bit of reverse swing rather than a lot of reverse swing with the ball soft.” It is considerably easier to navigate as a batsman. You still want to carry a harder ball. I believe a bit of reverse swing is all that is required.”
“He barely bowls poorly,” Hazlewood.
This is not 2018, for a variety of reasons, but the reverse could occur again in Gqeberha, with South Africa expected to have an expert exponent available with the return of Kagiso Rabada, but the expectation of rain may mitigate its influence.
The outfield is lush from recent rain in the city, although the surface appeared dry three days before the game. “The conditions sort of dictate it,” Hazlewood explained. “If the wicket is hard, firm, deteriorating, and there’s not seam movement, you’re probably going to get that reverse swing just due to the basic conditions of the ground, the square and the wicket.”
Hazlewood, who has taken six wickets in two of his three Tests since returning to the squad after missing the entire Ashes series, was convinced he had recovered well from his workload. Aside from the 2024-25 Test against India in Brisbane, which was highly rain-affected, Durban was Hazlewood’s first real five-day Test since The Oval in 2023.
“I’d rather it be over in two days,” he laughed when asked about the type of pitches in Australia and the desire to shift the balance back to batters.
Both he and Starc played off their full runs at Australia’s training session on Friday, with Starc particularly brilliant as he worked over Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster in the centre-wicket.
However, Australia has significant backup pace resources available if needed, with Scott Boland and Michael Neser waiting in the wings. Boland was particularly impressive in the centre-wicket the day before, testing Josh Inglis on his comeback from injury.
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If the start of the Test is delayed due to weather, Boland may be used as a fourth quick. However, he ensures that the quality of the attack will not suffer if one of the big three misses a game. “Every time the boys come in, it’s like, oh, Scotty again.
I believe he will play a role in this series, as well as in the next 12–18 months. “He’s a class act, with a ridiculous record. It probably makes it easier on us if we’re struggling from time to time to know Scotty’s there, ready to go.” It can make those interactions go more smoothly, and it functions as a unit. Moving forward, we may miss a week or two here and there to allow things to settle more quickly, and we now have a wonderful unit here.
Aman Gupta is a passionate cricket writer who covers match previews, player performances, cricket news, and tournament updates, bringing engaging insights and accurate information to cricket fans.
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