Australia have been handed a frank reality check of where their one-day game is at leading into the World Cup, as South Africa cruised to a big win in the tri-series final in Harare.
An embarrassing loss to Zimbabwe and a six-wicket defeat at the hands of the Proteas on Saturday has ensured a rare tour of disappointment for the Australians since Darren Lehmann took over as coach.
They head home having fallen from No.1 to four on the ODI rankings.
Perhaps the only consolation is that the slow, spinning and reverse swinging conditions that have given them so much trouble at the Harare Sports Club, won’t be seen down under when the World Cup kicks off on February 14.
Proteas No.3 du Plessis (96 off 98) finished as man of the series in style but was cruelly denied a chance to become the first player to score four hundreds in a one-day tournament, as South Africa chased down a meagre target of 218 with 55 balls to spare.
AB de Villiers (53 not out) went on a boundary spree to reach 50, but that carried the score to 3-212, meaning du Plessis on 92 needed to smash two fours to reach his hundred.
Du Plessis smacked Mitchell Johnson to the fence no problem for the first but then skied one in the air to depart four runs short of history.
He would have also become the sixth man – and fourth South African – to pass triple figures in three consecutive ODI innings.
Coming into the series, du Plessis had never scored a 50-over ton, but he leaves with two against the Australians, and one against Zimbabwe, in five matches.
Spearhead Dale Steyn took 4-35 to spark another Australian batting collapse, restricting them to 9-217 from their 50 overs.
Australia accused South Africa of being too predictable in the build-up to the final, but in the end it was their superior consistency which proved the difference.
Losing the toss for the fifth time in five matches this tour, Australia were sent into bat in tough conditions and had flashbacks to the Zimbabwe humiliation, as the bottom fell out of their innings.
Steyn managed to get the ball to reverse swing and in successive balls in the 29th over bowled Aaron Finch (54) and trapped Glenn Maxwell lbw with an almost unplayable delivery first up.
If it wasn’t for James Faulkner (39 off 37) and Mitchell Starc (28 not out) combining for the only 50-run partnership of the innings, for the ninth wicket, Australia would have had nothing to bowl at.
Six Australians were dismissed for 15 runs or less.
Steyn was clubbed for three successive sixes by Mitchell Marsh when the two teams last met on Tuesday, but the world class quick came back with a vengeance with the trophy on the line.
Wayne Parnell clean bowled danger man Marsh (27) to claim his second wicket, before Steyn returned to fire Brad Haddin in the 37th over to leave Australia reeling at 7-137.
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