Australia now finds itself at a crossroads, needing to make some crucial decisions about their batting order before the decisive Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Following a demoralising innings defeat in Gqeberha, the Australian side must confront its shortcomings.
The contrast was stark from their performance at Kingsmead to what unfolded at St George’s Park, where Australia was made to follow-on for just the third time since 1988. The situation didn’t look dire when South Africa was reeling at 97 for 5, but the hosts eventually posted 425 for 9 once the rain gave way.
Pat Cummins, the captain, noted that any post-mortem would wait until the dust settled emotionally. However, with Australia losing 19 wickets in just two days, the need for introspection about their batting is clear. Questions will also need to be asked of the bowlers, who faltered by letting South Africa recover from a vulnerable position. Despite Josh Hazlewood being unwell, South Africa managed to mitigate the loss of their own Anrich Nortje more competently, partly thanks to their use of a specialist spinner in Simon Harmer, contrasted with Australia’s all-pace attack strategy.
Cummins admitted, “We were nowhere near our best across the board really. Clearly need to be a lot better than that if we want to compete. I think a loss can sometimes kick yourself into gear. You can maybe paper over the cracks sometimes in a win. Whereas I think in a loss, it makes you ask questions as a player of yourself.”
After standout innings of 121 by Travis Head, the most deliveries survived by an Australian batsman were by Scott Boland, who faced 166 balls as a nightwatchman in the second innings. Responding to Vernon Philander deeming their first-innings as “gutless,” Cummins recognised the need for resilience in Test cricket, stating, “It’s not always going to be easy. You saw today with Trav and Scotty; sometimes it’s going to be about getting through the tough spells.”
Under pressure are Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, and Beau Webster. Cameron Green is likely to be fit for the final Test but not expected to bowl, with Josh Inglis also ready to play again. In contrast, Maddinson may face exclusion after a series of low scores, albeit the decision on Labuschagne, given his experience, will be more significant.
Labuschagne’s form has waned recently, failing to reach fifty in his past 14 innings. Cummins commented on Labuschagne’s recent struggles, saying, “I think the hardest thing about opening or batting three is actually getting yourself in… the game’s demanded something a bit different.”
Despite their winning record, Cummins acknowledges long-standing batting issues. He highlighted their dependency on Matt Renshaw, who made a significant contribution in the first Test. Cummins pointed out, “Even last week, obviously Renshaw had an amazing game, but I still think we weren’t at our best.”
Yet, the captain offered perspective, mirroring coach Andrew McDonald’s sentiments from earlier, saying, “If you said a month ago the series was going to be a one-all after two Tests with the two top teams in the world playing over here in South Africa, I think we probably would have said that’s not a bad position to be in.”
With the final Test looming, Australia must use their time wisely to adapt and make necessary changes to strengthen their chances of victory in Cape Town.
