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Australia mutate from frightening to frightful within a week

24th February, 2014
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Chris Rogers' retirement is a great loss for Australian cricket. (AFP, Alexander Joe)
Expert
24th February, 2014
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What a fall for the touring Australian cricketers. ‘Are the Aussies approaching the Golden Age?‘, I asked last week on The Roar.

This was after they won their sixth Test match in a row – five against England in Australia and one against the number one Test nation South Africa in South Africa.

Also I had suggested opener Chris Rogers be dropped for the second Test.

As he scored 107 in the second Test at Port Elizabeth, 50 per cent of Australia’s miserable total of 216 in the second innings, I was again way off the mark.

The imagination boggles as to what would have happened if Rogers was dropped. All out for less than 100?

But that is the beauty of Test cricket. Could even Nostradamus, the famous 16th century French seer, have predicted Australia’s amazing fall and rise and fall within a year?

The same Australian XI which won the first Test at Centurion by 281 runs lost the second by 231 runs.

Worse than losing, it was the way Australia capitulated which is upsetting for their fans. It was more panic than Dale Steyn that was behind the visitors’ sensational collapse on Black Sunday.

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To score 448 runs to win in about 158 overs was a tough assignment. To play out for a draw (with help from weather) appeared their only hope to retain their 1-0 lead.

But the way openers David Warner (66) and Rogers (107) started gave their supporters some hope. They put on 126 quick runs for the first wicket before Warner was dismissed.

At one stage they were 1 for 152 at a run rate of 3.64, with Rogers in good touch.

At that stage they needed 295 runs in about 116 overs to win the Test with nine wickets in hand. Still a tough assignment, but it was more ‘gettable’ than when their innings had commenced.

Then it happened. The South African spearhead Steyn bowled with fire and incredibly Australia lost their last nine wickets for 64 measly runs.

It was like the Agatha Christie novel And then there were none.

The last nine batsmen scored 5, 0, 1, 0, 1, 6, 6, 3 not out and 0.

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It was a pathetic display. No excuses. On the same pitch, the South Africans, especially JP Duminy, had batted confidently – as indeed did the Australian openers.

What’s wrong with skipper Michael Clarke’s batting? Since his century in the Adelaide Test in early December 2013, he has been scoring poorly. In this Test when Australia needed him most to show the way, he made 19 and one.

Brad Haddin was the Rock of Gibraltar in the Ashes from November 2013 to January 2014 but he has failed with the bat in South Africa.

I hope the selectors do not panic and make sweeping changes. Australia needs an all-rounder and Shane Watson, if fully fit, has to be brought back.

Also, James Pattinson should replace Peter Siddle in the Cape Town Test starting on Saturday.

The series is locked one-all. Let the decider begin.

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