Last Updated on 1 hour ago by Charbel Coorey
On a day billed as a potential classic with all results possible, Australia offered barely a whimper in their chase of 288. Pat Cummins’ team were blown away by South Africa, with the match over at lunch with the visitors collapsing to 60/7. They were eventually bowled out for 111 to lose by 176 runs, with Simon Harmer taking scarcely-believable figures of 6/16 off 21.1 overs.
There are no prizes for guessing that the Proteas would be fired up with the series on the line. A series against Australia almost always brings the best out of them. Also, Temba Bavuma has instilled a never-say-die attitude, which has been a common theme in this team over the past two years.
However, Australia’s batting in the first session on day five at Cape Town was deplorable. Matt Renshaw, Australia’s rock for most of the series, was out caught down the legside for a golden duck, and it went downhill quickly from there.
Marnus Labuschagne’s Test career looks over as he looked nervous and all at sea once again. He was out LBW leaving to Kagiso Rabada, ending a miserable match where he faced just eight balls. His stretch without a Test century now extends to 49 innings, and it is very possible that he doesn’t get another chance to break that drought. Put bluntly, he hasn’t been getting close anyway.
Travis Head was out soon after, driving loosely and edging to slip to hand Rabada a third wicket. The dismissals only continued to get worse, with Cameron Green inexplicably calling Josh Inglis through for a non-existent run and Alex Carey attempting to reverse sweep at 42/4 to a Simon Harmer half volley that could have been bunted back past the non-striker.
In another damning turn of events, Cameron Green looked all at sea against Harmer in the first session, and didn’t seem to want a bar of it with a number of singles avoided. Whether that was to protect Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins against the fast bowlers is another question, but both are more than capable with the bat.
Captain Bavuma eventually switched Harmer to a different end in the second session, and he dismissed a clueless Green first ball. Australia’s number four didn’t face a ball from Harmer from the 16th to 39th over.
David Warner scathing of Australia’s batting as they lose a series from 1-0 up despite rain in Gqeberha
The series took a turn in Gqeberha, and it was Australia’s shoddy batting that was the catalyst. While Temba Bavuma, Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer led a superb fightback with the bat, all the rain meant all Australia needed was to avoid the follow-on by scoring 226.
Their horrid 99-all-out, described as “gutless” by Vernon Philander, put the match in South Africa’s hands. The Proteas are too determined to decline such a lovely invitation from the Australians.
Fast forward to Cape Town, and it was more of the same. Australia put on a good show on a flat pitch in the first innings to earn a lead, but crumbled again when the pressure was on. The decision to bowl first was rightly criticised, but blaming that (poor) call alone ignores the batting failures especially when South Africa knuckled down and fought hard on day four.
Speaking on Kayo Sports, Mark Waugh, Kerry O’Keeffe and David Warner were scathing of Australia’s batting display in the first session on day five at Newlands.
“Just got to throw the ball down to the other end, that was a terrible two hours of batting. It was immature, it was terrible,” said Waugh. O’Keeffe also didn’t mince words, calling the batting “mindless” and “negative”.
However, it was the recently-retired Warner who was particularly critical, calling the performance un-Australian and disgraceful.
“I’m just upset. It’s terrible. It’s un-Australian. There’s no fight whatsoever. It’s disgraceful,” Warner said.
“288 [target] to win the Test match. You can win a series. It’s on the line and this is the way that they’re playing. It’s deplorable. The batters have let the bowlers done all series. Matt Renshaw showed fight in Durban, but I think the batters have been disgraceful.”
Australia fans, pundits call for changes ahead of New Zealand series
Australians are very passionate about Test cricket, and it is clear in the reactions online.
Australia’s next Test will be against New Zealand, starting on December 9 in Perth. They have lost three of their past five Tests, failing to win either series against Bangladesh and South Africa.
