Philander tips Test battle to get 'nasty'

South Africa swing bowler Vernon Philander has foreshadowed that the upcoming three-Test battle with arch foes Australia is likely to “get a bit nasty” in its more volatile moments.

Philander, who was at the centre of a heated spat that also included teammate Dale Steyn and Australia pair Michael Clarke and James Pattinson when the team last met in the Test arena in 2014, immediately clarified that any clashes would remain within the spirit of the game.

But the 32-year-old claimed that tensions were likely to bubble over if one of the teams put together a lengthy batting partnership such as the Proteas threatened to do on that epic final day at Cape Town two-and-a-half years ago.

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When Philander batted more than two-and-a-half hours for an unbeaten 51 that almost carried his team to a draw that would have denied Australia the world number one Test ranking.

Before Australia quick Ryan Harris grabbed two wickets in his final over to cap a memorable victory.

The South Africans also carry clear memories of the heroic batting display at Adelaide Oval on their previous Test tour of Australia, when current captain Faf du Plessis (110 in almost eight hours) held out on the final day to secure the tourists a draw which in turn set up a series win in the subsequent Test in Perth.

It’s those sort of stoic batting efforts that Philander identified as the likely flash points for the arch foes to go at each other’s throats in the heat of a Test match battle.

“There are going to be times when we’ve got to step it up and get a bit nasty,” Philander said at the WACA Ground in Perth where the first Commonwealth Bank Test between the teams begins on Thursday.

“There’s going to be a time when a partnership will develop and it will require one or two bowlers to put up their hands and get a bit ugly.

“Make things a bit uncomfortable.

“But it’s all part of the game.

“That definitely tests your character and that’s obviously a part of Test cricket, testing your skills.

“To get out there and win that moment for your team.

“So it’s going to be fun.”

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What might not be such fun will be the new ball bowling of Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc who yesterday took umbrage with South Africa batting coach Neil McKenzie’s suggestion that the Australian attack does not possess the same “fear factor” as it has in previous vintages.

Starc immediately issued a challenge for McKenzie to face up to him in the nets (the second time in as many years he's presented an opposition batting coach with such an option after NZ assistant Craig McMillan questioned the accuracy of his 160kph delivery), something no sane coach would consider upon seeing how lively the practice pitches at the WACA have been in recent days.

Instead, it will be job of opener Stephen Cook (along with his top-order partner Dean Elgar) to tackle the new-ball menace of Starc and his fellow quicks Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle (who seems likely to get the nod ahead of uncapped South Australian Joe Mennie).

Cook has failed to post a score in his three tour match outings ahead of the first Test, and was found wanting against the short ball a couple of times by the inexperienced Cricket Australia XI seamers in the day-night practice game at Adelaide Oval.

But Cook said today he’s unfussed by his lack of productivity in tour matches since arriving in Australia a fortnight ago, and points to his form in the South Africa domestic competition prior to leaving home shores as a more reliable indicator.

He also seemed unfazed when it was pointed out that Starc has developed a sizeable reputation recently for taking wickets in the first few overs of Australia’s bowling innings, whether it be in the Test or limited-overs forms of the games.

Cook was reluctant to single out one rival bowler as a greater threat than others in the Australia line-up, but conceded that Starc posed a unique challenge due to his rare skills set.

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“He is something a little bit different,” Cook said of the bowler who has put the frighteners up many of his teammates in the Perth practice nets in the past two days.

“There’s not a lot of left-armers going around who can bowl at that sort of speed and swing the ball.

“It will be a pretty unique challenge, you can try and prepare as best you can but until you get out there in the middle you have to adapt as things go on.

“That’s been his hallmark.

“He’s been able to take wickets in all conditions and that will be one of the challenges.”

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