Du Plessis: Aussies made mistake resting players ahead of Test series
Adding insult to the injury to an embattled Australian side, visitors South Africa on Tuesday (Nov 15) defeated hosts by an innings and 80 runs in the second cricket Test at the Bellerive Oval here.
Smith’s men lost eight wickets for just 32 runs after they resumed day four on 121-2, and the batsman has questioned his teammates’ pride.
On current form the tourists could easily become the first side to whitewash Australia in a home Test series since federation.
Australia reach 158 without loss, well placed to overhaul South Africa’s first innings total of 242 when David Warner is dismissed for 97, the first of 10 wickets to fall for 86 as they finish just two runs ahead on 244, despite strike bowler Dale Steyn’s departure with an injured shoulder. “We are not being resilient, we are not willing to tough it out and get through tough periods.it is not good enough”.
“That’s the mission for us now”.
‘We’ve got to stop the rot, we’ve got to work out what the best 11 is, ‘ fumes Lehmann.
In the process, they handed the home side its fifth straight Test loss and ensured South Africa clinched the Test series 2-0, with the third and final Test in Adelaide now a dead rubber.
Du Plessis believes the current successes will hopefully go a long way in instilling the belief that future South African generations can also come here and win.
Meanwhile, five of their counterparts first XI played red ball cricket throughout the month of October in their home country while the rest were smashing Australia 5-nil in an ODI series.
In the team rankings, South Africa are eyeing fourth position after taking a 2-0 lead.
It meant Australia’s players did not play one red-ball game between the third Test in Sri Lanka (a series they lost 3-0) in August and the October series opener in Perth.
“It’s definitely attitude. It’s an aggressive attitude that makes sure you’re always in the opposition’s faces”, du Plessis explained of South Africa’s approach to the series.
But beating Australia in less than seven sessions of actual play, which South Africa did in Hobart, took things to another level.
Former skippers are leading the calls for change, with Allan Border and Ricky Ponting both pointing fingers at the players.
“They got very defensive minded and when they do that – it’s been shown through this Test series — their techniques aren’t good enough to stand up.
Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
If the immediate cause of the problem is a lack of confidence and application with the bat there are deeper-rooted problems, not least in the way Australian selectors are flailing wildly for the right formula.
“But when you’re out there in the heat of the battle, that’s all gone”.
“If you can put a lot of pressure on them you know that the younger and the more inexperienced players in the team won t have the same punch as they would have”, he said.