23 March,2009 02:59 PM IST | | AFP
Australia will start favourites for the Ashes series against England later this year according to South African captain Jacques Kallis.
Speaking after his team completed victory by an innings and 20 runs on the fourth day of the third Test at Newlands yesterday, Kallis said Australia's strong pace bowling attack should thrive in English conditions.
"They will probably go in as favourites but it should be another good series," said Kallis, who missed the closing stages of his team's win because of a right groin injury suffered while bowling.
Kallis will undergo a scan and said he hoped to be fit in time for a five-match one-day series against Australia starting on April 3.
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South Africa's win, which came despite an 86-ball century by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, meant that the two teams finished level on three Test wins each over the summer. South Africa won 2-1 in a series in Australia and Australia won by the same margin in South Africa.
"It is probably a fair reflection of how the summer has gone," said Kallis. Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the two series had provided highly entertaining cricket which had been an advertisement for the Test game.
"Our cricket in the first two Test matches was as good as we have played in a long time but this match showed that if you're not quite there mentally results can go against you."
Ponting said he looked forward to the Ashes series. "Bringing along a new generation of Australian players we've played some really good cricket. The Ashes series will be another opportunity for them," he said.
Johnson and Andrew McDonald (68) shared an Australian record seventh wicket stand of 163 to delay South Africa's victory. Left-arm spinner Paul Harris took six for 127 and fast bowler Dale Steyn three for 96.
South Africa were on course for a crushing victory when Australia lost their sixth wicket at 218, still 224 short of avoiding an innings defeat.
But McDonald and Johnson, who was named man of the series, went for their shots and thrashed a tiring bowling attack.
They put on 163 in 122 minutes off 161 balls to break the Australian seventh wicket record against South Africa of 160 by Richie Benaud and Graham McKenzie in 1963/64.
