Clinical South Africa thrash Australia in second Test

Australia captain Steven Smith admits that he is “embarrassed” by his team’s defeat to South Africa, which extends the nation’s run of consecutive Test losses to five. “There is an opportunity to play the pink ball and beat Australia 3-0”.

The ODI series in South Africa preceding the Test series was comprehensively won by the Proteas wherein the whitewashed the Aussies 5-0.

Yet it’s the Australians who are in disarray.

The brother of batsman Callum Ferguson has tried to blame spilt beer for the epic blow-up that perfectly summed up every Australian fans’ reaction to the horror start to the Second Test.

The Steve Smith-led side was crushed to defeat as Proteas won the Hobart Test by an innings and 80 runs.

16 Australian batsmen got dismissed for single-digit scores in this match, Australia’s joint most in a Test.

“Obviously, I’m happy with what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved, but the game has only gone past halfway and we still have a lot to do”, de Kock said. The visitors have had the better of the exchanges between the two sides in the last three rubbers, winning 2-1 in 2008, 1-0 in 2012 and leading by 2-0 with a match to go this time. “This cricket team is a tough team to get a win against on their home soil”, said Faf du Plessis, the South African captain.

“We never thought we would get close to bowling them out in a session”, Abbott said of South Africa taking eight wickets for 32 runs yesterday. Australia slumped from 129-2 to all out for 166 before lunch.

South Africa’s Kyle Abbott took 6-77 in the second innings, while Kagiso Rabada claimed 4-34.

“Humiliated” Smith says Australia lacking pride was posted in Sports of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on November 15, 2016 and was last updated on November 15, 2016. Australia were routed for 85 in the first innings, while the South Africans replied with 326.

Players are drifting in and out of the side on a whim with experienced campaigners left out (Usman Khawaja in Sri Lanka), bowlers being dropped due to their batting skills or lack of them (Jackson Bird in Hobart), and rookies plucked from Shield cricket and dropped as quick as if they are rolling a dice (take your pick).

Australia coach Darren Lehmann guaranteed there would be further changes to the team before Adelaide but Smith gave a bleak prognosis of the available replacements.

“We have got to find a way to be a bit more resilient and turn things around because we are not in a great place”.

“He takes the role very seriously but realises that a bad game or performance does not suddenly make you a bad cricketer. I think (Usman) Khawaja will be around for that time, I honestly believe he can be a 10-year Test player for Australia”, added Ponting.

“We have been outplayed in the first two Tests, we have lost the last five Test matches”.

“They’ve got a full strength team; there’s no injuries”. Now the whole set up, from Lehmann to the top administrators, is under pressure.