Smith ’embarrassed’ by Australia woe

Only two players – captain Michael Clarke, and fast bowler Mitchell Johnson – reach double figures, and Australia’s highest single scorer is extras, with 14.

Proteas pacer Kyle Abbot scalped six wickets in the hosts’ second essay as batting nightmares continued to haunt Australia, who were skittled out for a meagre 161.

Abbott, who dismissed both Australia’s openers on day three, triggered the collapse by coaxing Usman Khawaja (64) into chasing a wider delivery, which the batsman nicked to wicket keeper Quinton de Kock.

After Sunday’s second day was washed out, the Australians chased early wickets but de Kock and Bavuma batted South Africa into a position of strength with a century stand before the swashbuckling wicketkeeper was bowled by Hazlewood just before lunch for 104 off 143 balls with 17 boundaries.

The two sides will now head to Adelaide for the third Test to be played from November 24 to 28.

Smith went on to say that South Africa’s bowling attack was sublimely accurate and consistent throughout the respective spells.

“It’s not working. Obviously, on the back of five losses there’s going to be a lot talked about in regards to selection and things like that”, the 27-year-old said at a post-match news conference. That’s what I asked for from the boys and we didn’t have that fight and weren’t resilient enough. We don’t want to get in anybody’s way, but if the Australian change room feels like they can use our services for anything to help them, we’d love to help.

“This series is gone now and we’ve been outplayed, but we have a lot to play for. I think this change room gets on really well [but] there’s other things that must be going on to point to where they’re at at the moment”.

“We ve just made sure those guys have been relatively quiet in the series”. We’ve lost five in a row and for an Australian cricket team that’s humiliating. “That’s what I need”, he said.

But Australia’s bowlers were unable to generate the type of movement the tourists did on day one throughout the opening session.

“We can certainly look forward to a triumphant homecoming and then the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka”, Lorgat concluded”. This is a very special moment.

Surely Cricket Australia could have had the vision to realise that potential Test aspirants and the current XI for the final match of the South African series and the first match of the Pakistan series in Brisbane next month would need the best possible adjustment to the pink ball.

Abbott said the South African team worked on becoming more ruthless.

“Certainly, not facing them is better than facing them”, he added.