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Australia has been thrashed in the second cricket Test against South Africa by an innings and 80 runs.
The home side were bowled out this morning in their second innings for 161, losing 8-32 this morning to succumb to the rollicking South Africans.
Kyle Abbott was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas, taking 6/77 from 23.1 overs. Kagiso Rabada also took four wickets on a terrible day for Australia.
Australia will need to come out fighting on Day 4 of the Hobart Test or face the ignominy of an embarrassing series loss at home to South Africa. Follow the live scores and blog of this fourth day’s play right here on The Roar from 10am (AEDT).
This Test has been played at such a hectic pace that, despite an entire’s day’s play having been lost to rain, Australia still need to bat at least the whole of the fourth day to have a chance of saving the game.
Even then, if rain plays no further part in the game, they might have to conjure up a bowling performance of miraculous proportions to come out unscathed.
Australia needed to bowl South Africa out quickly on day three but the visitors managed to put on 155 more runs. While Australia did run through the final five once Quinton de Kock was dismissed – they took five for 50 – the damage had already been inflicted on Day 1 when the home team had managed just 85 batting first.
What that left South Africa with was a lead of 241 runs, and Australia with their backs to the wall.
Australia would have hoped to get to stumps on day three without loss. The wicket of David Warner, after he had got a start and given its freakish nature, would have hurt them a lot going into the fourth day, especially after Joe Burns had been caught behind with the score still on 0, strangled down the leg-side.
What they now have is a slightly shaky-looking Steven Smith giving Usman Khawaja company at the crease. Form has deserted Adam Voges in recent times while Callum Ferguson is on debut and probably a tad nervous after his first innings run-out – it will up to the not-out batsmen to take Australia to the shores of safety.
And then there is the problem of contending with a bowling attack that exhibited its remarkable class as it ran through the Aussie line-up without their key bowler in the line-up. It was Vernon Philander who swung it for his team in the first innings while Kyle Abbott, who replaced Dale Steyn, gave him good support with his three wickets.
Abbott has added two more in the second innings which gives Kagiso Rabada something to work with after his man-of-the-match winning showing in the first Test match. Rest assured, he won’t make things any easier for the Aussies.
Will Australia survive the day and push the game into the fifth day to give themselves some hope? Or will the South African bowling prove to be too good for them?
Follow the live scores and blog of Day 4 of the second Test between Australia and South Africa on The Roar from 10am (AEDT).
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