Adelaide Test, Day 5, Lunch
Tuesday, December 18, 2001

All the demons are back now for South Africa. It'll be a tough series for them from here on in.

The Australian attack looks back to its best. All the balance is back. Glenn McGrath was relentless. He attacked a little with a few bouncers, but he was always right back at it.

Shane Warne was back to spinning it from round the wicket. South Africa's batsmen don't seem to have an answer to that sort of bowling. With Warne keeping it tight it allows Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee to run in and bowl the way they like to - fast and hard.

Warne has really shown up South Africa's lack of a quality spinner who can attack and contain. Claude Henderson bowled well at times, and he'll learn a lot from this game. But Warne has been a cut above him.

South Africa are paying for a poor day's bowling yesterday. The middle of the pitch has opened up, but it's not a bad wicket, and no worse than yesterday. They let Australia, and Matthew Hayden in particular, score far too easily. He shouldn't have been allowed to bat the way he did yesterday.

Their bowling was sort of sleepy. It lacked intent. When you look at the way Gillespie was charging in today - there's the difference in the attacks.

The South Africans really haven't handled the short ball well at all. The Australians have bowled it with much more intent than the South Africans did. There haven't been too many pull-shots, and ducking on this wicket with its variable bounce is really dangerous.

South Africa have really missed Allan Donald here. He's of a pace where he can trouble batsmen with that sort of bowling. They'll be glad to get him back for Melbourne.

Ian Healy made a record 395 dismissals in 119 Tests for Australia. His comments will be appearing on Wisden.com at the end of every session in the series. He was talking to Tim Stoney.

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