South Africa bowled brilliantly at Cape Town yesterday to highlight concerns about Australia’s batting away from home, before a lower-order burst brought the tourists back into the third Test.
At 8-175, trailing South Africa by 136 runs, Australia were in a deep hole. But they were revived by an audacious partnership of 66 from 71 balls between tailender Nathan Lyon (47) and in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine (33no).
Lyon rode his luck and capitalised on some wayward bowling to plunder eight boundaries in his sprinting knock, while Paine again produced an innings of class and composure.
Since returning to the Test team in the Ashes, the gloveman has made 328 runs at 47 from eight Tests.
What’s been most impressive has been his consistency – in eight of his 11 innings during that time Paine has scored 24 or more. While Australia are still well behind in the Test at 9-245, their late flourish yesterday will have buoyed them and deflated the Proteas.
There were failures aplenty for Australia yesterday, although the most glaring issue is the continued struggle on the road of Usman Khawaja, who yesterday threw his wicket away, lowering his series average to 20.
Khawaja is statistically the biggest home-track bully in world cricket. Among current batsmen with at least 1,000 Test runs to their name, no one has a bigger gap than Khawaja between their home (59) and away (25) averages.
The Queenslander is an elite batsman in Australian conditions. The question now becomes whether Australia can continue to carry him away from home?
Khawaja is fortunate the only back-up batsman in Australia’s squad is the out-of-form Peter Handscomb. That fact may well save his spot even if Khawaja fails again in the second innings here. But he surely will have to show major improvement across the remainder of the series if the selectors are to retain him beyond this tour.
Australia have badly needed the likes of Khawaja to step up because this is the first time in more than four years both of their two best batsmen have had limited influence in a Test series.
Not since the 2013 Ashes have both captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner averaged less than 40 in a Test series. Midway through the third Test of this four-match series, Warner is averaging 37 and Smith just 27.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
It’s hard to read too much into Smith’s form as he’s been so dominant for so long that a trough such as this was inevitable.
Unlike most of the Australian batsmen, there’s no problem with his record away from home – he’s scored 3,102 runs on the road at an average of 52, with ten centuries.
As much as Khawaja deserves to be under scrutiny, he’s far from alone in his battles outside Australia. David Warner, Shaun Marsh and Mitch Marsh all average considerably less on the road than at home.
Warner, at least, has shown improvement over his past two series away from home.
The elder Marsh has had a disappointing series so far, wasting a succession of starts. With scores of 40, 33, 24, 1 and 26 he must surely feel as if his graft has consistently been to no avail.
Yesterday Shaun Marsh was patient and assured against both spin and pace as he built a fine platform for a big innings, making his way to 26 from 62 balls.
Having soaked up considerable pressure he then gifted his wicket by pushing half-heartedly at a wide delivery from Morne Morkel which he easily could have left.
(AFP PHOTO / William WEST)
His younger brother was less culpable in his own demise, drawn into an edge behind by a beautiful delivery from Philander which started on the line of the stumps before fading away late.
Mitch Marsh started this series in imperious fashion, cracking a match-winning 96 in the first innings of the first Test.
Since then, however, he has failed in three of four innings. Of course, it must be noted that the Australians have been confronted by a truly elite bowling attack in this series.
South Africa bowled better as a unit yesterday than they have at any other time in this series. They well and truly earned their ascendancy in this Test, placing themselves in a prime position to go 2-1 up in the series.
Ben
Guest
...and now they been caught cheating. Oopps sorry. I know they dont like being called names. Heres one though....sanctimonious.
Ben
Guest
Well he didnt whisper did he. He yelled it as he walked down the tunnel to the rooms. Anyway...what difference does it make?
Brasstax
Guest
Not any more bad than we have been in the UK for as long as i can remember.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
To be fair, batting at a SR of 214.29 as an opening bat, tells you he was batting for himself, not the team. As someone who lives his opinions through statistics, I'm surprised you missed that.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
I presume when sitting at the fence of any home Australian test you've shared that opinion verbally with your errant countrymen? Otherwise, it's just sanctimonious claptrap. End of story.
Rob
Guest
Warner has always been a little dodgy blocking.
Savage
Roar Rookie
Didn't Darren Lehmann urged Australia fans to make Stuart Broad 'cry and go home'?
Crowd abuse should not be tolerated, however it is tough to control, there isn't a big sign or tell tale signs someone is going to abuse a player until it happens. It is also not an isolated incident, Morkel admits to experiencing crowd abuse in Melbourne, Amla was called a ter...... in Hobart in 2016, Mkaya Ntini had racist remarks hurled at him in 2006 in Perth.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Certainly the best Cameron has looked for a while. Lots of work on his bat path might be working, or perhaps it was just his day. Like a couple in our top six, Bancroft has left himself open for some to question his spot in the side. Especially, after the treatment of Joe Burns and to a lesser extent, Matt Renshaw. As for Smith, he is struggling to continue his domination of bowling attacks, but that wave of form couldn't last forever. I think the niggle, and Smith's focus on it, has come at a cost to his batting. So far, both captains have had series to forget. With the bat, in front of the microphone and in handling their charges on the field, the skippers have been very ordinary.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Sadly, Khawaja seems to do his best to gift his detractors plenty of ammunition to support dropping him. He is now a senior player in the side and I rate him very highly, but every series draws me closer to putting a "not worth the frustration" note against his name. The only thing that keeps him in discussions is that he will, at times, make good scores on wickets that are treacherous.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Paine is averaging 47 batting with this approach and has been involved in several lower order redemptions. I believe opposition teams would be happier for him to get out playing reckless shots rather than bat solidly around a tail that know how to handle a bat ok. We have a lower order aggressor in Mitchell Starc. What he is doing is working well. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Rather than have Paine bat differently, perhaps our poorly performing top six should stand up. After five innings in this series, none of the Australians have scored 200 runs. That's the part that needs fixing if we want to win test matches.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Players (cricket and rugby) have copped abuse from thge SA fans and not just Australians. So please don't say that it is all our fault and we deserve it. Not talking player sledging but crowd abuse.
Roger
Guest
I miss Rosso ?
Nudge
Guest
It’s not going to happen in Oz as they wouldn’t be allowed in the ground
Simoc
Guest
It's hard to see Australia getting out of this test without losing, given their form to date with the bat. No-one seems able to score a ton let alone a big ton. I think the bowling is pretty great from both sides so we're being out batted mostly by century makers. Unfortunately if Smith doesn't do it, no-one else steps up beyond expectations except maybe M Marsh in the first test.
JoM
Guest
When do our fans ever hold up signs with disparaging comments about the oppositions wives, girlfriends and families. Name me one instance.
Superba
Guest
Nudge I never knew that . But similarly it is in poor taste , unsportsmanlike and unacceptable .
Flemo
Guest
Warner should never have to go through such attacks
Flemo
Guest
George is correct, so much attack on Khawaja who hit a fighting 74 just in the very last Innings when we really needed it and nothing on Shaun Marsh who has no half centuries this series. I like Shaun Marsh and Khawaja both but I just hate one sided reporting by sports writers with their own biases against players. Khawaja has 3 half centuries and a 171 in his last 7 test matches but you would think the guy has had 7 failures in those 7 tests
Flemo
Guest
Ronan you have been on Khawaja’s back for the last year, I am sorry but you continually attack khAwaja. You so quickly forget that he got 74 in just his last game, and that too in fighting conditions and was the top score, just last innings for crying out loud. Can’t you see your biasness as a sports writer against Khawaja stands out too much. Just one failure after his 170 odd In the ashes you were on his case for failing too. Like Ryan mentioned Khawaja got 3 half centuries and a 171 in his last 7 games but you have no critism for Shaun Marsh who has 0 half centuries this tour. And you keep goind on about The last 5 games overseas but they included just one game in Bangladesh before he was unfairly dropped on the best batting pitch and again the same in Sri Lanka last year after one game of failure. I repeat again that Khawaja got top score of 74 in the very last innings amd it’s important you look at your own bias ness as a writer as it’s really starting to stand out now