Mitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson took 12 wickets in the first test against South Africa. [Reuters]

South Africa and Australia battle it out in the second test match scheduled between the two sides at St George's Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

Where to Watch Live

Play is scheduled to start at 8:30am GMT on Thursday. Live coverage will be available on Sky Sports 2 and Sky Sports 2 HD. Follow the live text updates of the game on ESPN Cricinfo.

Overview

In the first test match contested between the two teams last week, Australia ran out convincing winners against South Africa by 281 runs within four days.

Greame Smith won the toss and elected to field and his bowlers started off fairly well to ensure the visitors had lost four wickets with 98 runs on the scoreboard in the opening innings. However, Shaun Marsh (148) and Steven Smith (100) combined to add a fifth wicket partnership of 233 runs for the fifth wicket.

The Australian innings eventually ended on the second day with 397 runs. Dale Steyn took four wickets in the innings while Ryan McLaren and Robin Peterson added two wickets each to their tally. Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel had one wicket each to their name.

The South African batsmen took to the pitch in their first innings on day two but the home side's batting lineup failed to counter the threat of Mitchell Johnson's pace and were all sent packing for just 206 runs.

Johnson who maintained his sterling performance from the Ashes series sent seven batsmen back to the pavilion. The host's only stellar batsman was wicket-keeper AB de Villiers who managed to add 91 runs to his team's tally before being dismissed by the left-handed bowler.

With a lead of 191 runs already, Clarke's side added 290 runs in their second innings before the skipper chose to declare their innings on the fourth day with a lead of 481 runs. David Warner starred for the visitors scoring 115 runs while Alex Doolan supported the opener scoring 89 runs.

In the final innings of the match, Johnson again tore through the Proteas' batting lineup taking five wickets. The home side were all deflated for just 200 runs within four days to give Clarke's side a 1-0 lead in the test series.

The Player of the Match accolade was awarded to Johnson. His five-wicket haul in the second innings takes his total to 12 in the series with two more matches yet to play.

With a crucial game at hand, Smith will be hoping that his side can overcome Johnson's threat at Port Elizabeth and attempt to draw level in the series.

Team News

South Africa

Probable Lineup: Graeme Smith (c), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel

Australia

Probable Lineup: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Alex Doolan, Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke (c), Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon

South Africa Australia