Ponting aims for perfection
Ricky Ponting admits South Africa have carried out their plans better than Australia
Australia captain Ricky Ponting acknowledges his side have to “execute perfectly” if they are to pull off a great escape against South Africa at the MCG tomorrow.
The Proteas go into the final day of the second Test needing a further 153 runs with 10 second-innings intact to clinch a 2-0 series win with a game to spare.
Defeat for Australia would condemn them to their first home series loss in 16 years, and Ponting is aware his side need to pull out all the stops on day five.
“Whenever we've got wickets against them we've got them in pretty quick succession,” said Ponting, who hit a resolute 99 today, narrowly missing out on a second century in the match.
“We have to make sure we execute perfectly tomorrow, which is one area we probably haven't done as well as the South Africans in the first two games.
“That's the only option we've got. We've got to get out there and give it our best shot for as long as it takes tomorrow and hopefully hand us some chances and have some luck and we'll see what happens.
“We've all got to dig as deep as we can tomorrow to dislodge a few of their batsmen and get a few nerves through their changing room.”
Ponting is hoping he will be able to call on Brett Lee tomorrow despite the paceman struggling with a foot injury.
Dale Steyn made the most of the Australians' poor shot selection to claim five second-innings wickets
Lee's fitness will be monitored throughout tonight and tomorrow morning but the team’s medical staff are hopeful the 32-year-old can draw on his famed courage to help Australia pull off a remarkable victory.
"It has flared up really quickly and we hope it will plateau now a little bit, just enough to give us the chance to get a few more overs out of him tomorrow," Ponting said.
South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, who claimed his second five-wicket haul of the game today - a day after making a priceless 76 - insisted the Proteas would not be afflicted by nerves.
The tourists have a record of struggling to get over the line against Australia, most famously in the 1999 World Cup when they tied the semi-final after seeming set for victory.
However, South Africa showed their relish for the big occasion by chasing down 414 - the second highest fourth-innings total to win a Test - in Perth last week.
Steyn said: “Many of the guys that are on this tour have never lost to Australia apart from a couple of senior players, so there's a fresh group of players out here who are not really worried about the history.
“We're more worried about the way we play cricket and what we've come to achieve on this tour. How we're going to get there is most important for us.
Australia's hopes of an unlikely victory rest largely on the shoulders of injured pace bowler Brett Lee
"We're not really fazed by what's happened in the past, what people think or what they say. We know what our job is and we know how to get there and we'll keep doing that."
Steyn was surprised at how easy his wickets came today as the home side were bowled out for 247 despite Ponting’s fine innings.
Of Australia's top seven, only Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey were not guilty of rash strokes.
Steyn, who claimed 5-67 to go with his haul of 5-87 in the first innings, said: “I think the way that the Aussies play they really like to have the scoreboard ticking over and they like to see boundaries flow.
“And they've got those kind of players who you always feel that, even though you're going at four an over, you always feel there will be chances somewhere along the line.
"If you can build up enough pressure, even with an old ball, a bad shot will come along the way.
"I've got to be honest - I don't think even in Perth I bowled at my best and I was gifted a couple of wickets.
"I was gifted probably someone like Michael Clarke's wicket today. It was a really old ball, bad ball, off the back foot, caught at cover - really it's a gift. That ball could have easily gone for four."
