Ugly Steve Smith act slammed as Aussies suffer humiliating defeat in second Test | Awkward questi…

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Awkward questions linger as creaky Australia receives South African hiding

Pat Cummins's side faces the same old questions about its make-up after being humbled by South Africa in Gqeberha. (AP Photo: Themba Hadebe)

That Australia slowly folded and lost the Gqeberha Test by an innings and 31 runs late on day five was hardly surprising in light of its batting calamities of 24 hours earlier. That Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen ran through the tail to finish things off even less so.

But it remains startling to consider the reversal of fortunes this quite disastrous loss represented for Australia. On day two, they were 1-0 up in the series, had South Africa on the ropes at 5-97, on a greenish pitch, and fancied a rout of their own.

Australia’s patched-up batting has reached boiling point. It must change for Cape Town

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Gqeberha: “It’s not that hard!” At tea on day five, Jason Gillespie exclaimed these words while admiring the way Scott Boland had held up South Africa for three hours with a straight bat, the occasional cut shot, and a heap of determination.

Twenty-nine years ago, Gillespie had played an underrated role in what is still Australia’s most recent Test victory at St George’s Park, taking eight wickets then surviving a critical over from Jacques Kallis. Ian Healy sealed the epic, by a two-wicket margin, with a mighty six over square leg the following over.

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