Darren Lehmann promises changes after Australia’s series defeat to South Africa

The home side were humbled by an innings and 80 runs before lunch on the fourth day in Hobart with Usman Khawaja and skipper Steve Smith providing the only real resistance to a ideal and well drilled South Africa bowling trio.

Australia was swept 3-0 in a test series in Sri Lanka in July and August and then beaten 5-0 in a limited-overs global series in South Africa before returning for the start of the southern summer. Before this South Africa had won in 2008-09 and 2012-13.

The vagaries of the schedule – which has been intensely scrutinised and fingered as a contributing factor to the Australian malaise – mean that those guaranteed a place in the side, and those vying for inclusion, will prepare for the pink ball of Adelaide with a red-ball Shield match while the South Africans will play a day-night practice match at the MCG.

“We are not resilient enough, we are not digging in enough, we are not having the pride in our wicket, we’re just not being resilient enough and something has got to change”.

“I want the Australian team to know that we are right here to help them”. Rabada in particular continued his show from the second innings of the Perth Test where he ripped apart the Australian line-up.

But amidst talk of Cricket Australia’s system being broken and the Sheffield Shield being devalued in recent years, Border had a far more simple explanation.

South Africa beat Australia by an innings and 80 runs in the second Test at Hobart.

The victory secures the Test series 2-0 for South Africa and now renders as their third consecutive Test Series win against Australia on Australian soil.

“I came down to Hobart yesterday and my plans were to see a little bit of cricket but unfortunately I didn’t get here in time”, he said, adding that he spoke with players and support staff after the game.

“This is my own decision and no-one within Cricket Australia has pressured me or even suggested that I should do this”, he said.

“Australia’s endemic problems, demand a long-term approach but in the short term changes must be made for Adelaide”, the paper’s cricket writer Andrew Faulkner wrote.

South Africa will head to Melbourne to play a two-day game under lights at the MCG.

His position as a member of the four-man panel would get more complicated, however, if 24-year-old Jake is to be discussed as a contender for the Australian team.

“Embarrassed” skipper Steve Smith said Australia needed a shake-up but backed under-fire coach Darren Lehmann after the hosts slumped to a humiliating series defeat to South Africa on Tuesday.

After an embarrassing dismissal on day four, veteran batsman Adam Voges has nearly certainly played his last Test, while Nathan Lyon, the long-time incumbent spinner, is poised for the axe due to a prolonged form slump.

Cricket Australia chairman David Peever said Marsh played a pivotal role in helping Australia reach the No. 1 rankings in test and limited-overs cricket.

“That’s what we’ve wanted to really improve on in this series, and really fighting as hard as we can and being ruthless and creating pressure from both ends with the ball”, he said.