Why was anyone surprised South Africa gave the world champion and number one ranked Australia a first time 5-0 ODI shellacking?
Australia’s pace attack was missing Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Peter Siddle who were either injured, or rested.
Little wonder the South African batsmen feasted on a pop-gun attack of Scott Boland, Daniel Worrall, Chris Tremain, and Joe Mennie to average 54.39 a wicket.
And it would have been a whole lot worse if the world’s best ODI batsman AB de Villiers hadn’t missed the entire series through injury.
Australia was never going to compete with so much ammunition missing, and to add to their misery only David Warner fired with the bat, with digs of a superb series high 173 plus 117, 50, 40, and six to average 77.40.
The other six Australian batsmen could only manage one half-century or better apiece in their five visits to the crease.
In batting order Aaron Finch (top score 53), skipper Steve Smith (104), George Bailey (74), Mitchell Marsh (50), Travis Head (51), and Matt Wade (52), were way below expectations.
While the South African batsmen rollicked along averaging 54.39 a wicket, the Australians could only average 29.93 which explained the 5-0 drubbing.
Finch averaged 21.60, Smith 30.20, Bailey 22.80, Marsh 27.40, Head 27.80, and Wade 28.50 and despite their consistent failures, Usman Khawaja was a drinks waiter throughout the series.
And it’s not the first time Khawaja has been shabbily treated, and it probably won’t be the last.
The attack was also in the batting boat.
Danial Worrall didn’t earn an average with his 0-128 in two games, Boland 34.20 in three, Tremain 36.42 in four, Mennie 43.67 in two, while Marsh averaged 67.50 in five, and John Hastings 43 in four.
Go figure.
It was a series result that had to happen, so forget it and concentrate on the three-Test series against South Africa at home that kicks off at the WACA in just three weeks.
Let the South Africans bask in their gifted ODI glory, the Australians will be a vastly different proposition in the five-day game.
Warner should open the batting with Joe Burns, followed by Khawaja, Smith, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh because the selectors can’t see past him, Peter Nevill, Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Hazlewood.
That leaves a speed spot open for either Pattinson or Faulkner, depending on fitness.
But in a perfect world, I’m impatiently waiting for expressman Pat Cummins to be fit enough to play his first Test since his only man-of-the-match appearance as an 18-year-old against South Africa at the Wanderers five years ago.
His superb second-innings 6-79 off 29 set up an exciting two-wicket win, which ended in Cummins fittingly hitting the winning runs.
In those last five years, Cummins has hardly played a game, spending most of his time on the physio table with constant back problems.
It’s been cruel luck for the very talented Cummins who is still only 23 with so much to offer.
It’s a mouth-watering thought there’s still a possibility of a Starc-Cummins opening attack to bring back vivid memories of the last Australian express opening combination of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.
That’s something really worth waiting for – the sooner the better.
In the meantime, the South Africans will get a prompt Australian reminder at the WACA that the ODI loss was just an ugly incident in the rich tapestry of life.
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