How the mighty Australia have fallen

This was not only their fifth straight loss this season, it was also their third straight series loss to South Africa at home. The Proteas had gone 2-0 up even in 2008-09, but what’s been alarming here is that the two defeats so far have been debilitating and have exposed the soft underbelly of Australian cricket. Never before have the men in Baggy Green looked so vulnerable and in strife on home soil since the time Kim Hughes infamously broke down and quit after an umpteenth drubbing at the hands of the West Indies in the early 1980s.

Batting collapses

If the Sri Lanka tour attested their vulnerability against spin, the South African quicks have laid bare the tattered fabric of Australian batting. They lost 16 wickets for single-digit scores for the first time in 100 years at Hobart. They lost 10 wickets for 86 at the WACA last week after an opening partnership of 158, were shot out for 85 in the first innings in Hobart before Tuesday’s humiliation. Only twice in their last 10 Test innings have they even gone past 300.

Thin at the top

The reason why Australia’s No.3 batsmen, be it Ponting or Boon, were successful was the stable foundations that their openers provided. From Simpson-Lawry to Taylor-Slater and of course Hayden-Langer, they have been rather spoilt. But David Warner has already had 8 partners during his reign as the No.1 opener and nobody except the retired Chris Rogers looked good for the long haul. In Hobart they brought back Joe Burns for the injured Shaun Marsh, and it’s likely that by Adelaide, Warner will have a ninth partner.

Lenient selection

Back in the day, an Australian cricketer got to wear the Baggy Green purely on performance and not promise. But you just have to look at the Marsh brothers to realize that there’s been a policy change. Despite an ordinary Test career that’s yielded a batting average of 23.18 and bowling average of 37.27 in 19 Tests, Mitch Marsh is still considered their No.1 all-rounder. Despite an average of 40.15, Shaun has played an equal number of Tests, and numerous comebacks, but is yet to cement his place in the side.

Lack of depth

In their heyday, there was always a Michael Hussey, Martin Love or Brad Hodge scoring by the bucketload in the Sheffied Shield and seemingly ever-ready to fit in to the Test XI. Here, after the loss in Perth, as Australia looked to strenghten their batting they went to Ferguson, who if anything was touted to be the next big thing some eight years ago. And only 3 out of the 13 batsmen — Kurtis Patterson, Jake Weatherald and Jake Lehmann (Darren’s son) —who have scored centuries in the Shield this season are who you’d call young prospects.

Bowling wounded

The Australian cricket team’s injury management, especially the recovery part, has been shabby. Pat Cummins’s first and only Test so far has been in November 2011 at Johannesburg. A shin stress problem sidelined James Pattinson earlier this year. And there were reports that Mitchell Starc was undercooked in Perth after only recently having recovered from a leg wound. Then they lost Peter Siddle to a flaring-up of a recently healed back stress fracture.

Dirty linen

From homework gate in India three years ago to the alleged cold vibes between captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner in the present squad, locker-room disharmonies seem to be surfacing. “Unless it’s a drinks or lunch break, very rarely do you see those two communicating between overs,” former Australia captain Michael Clarke said on Channel Nine.

Out of Lyon

His last five-for in Test cricket came against India in December 2014. Lyon proved to be big let-down on rank turners in Sri Lanka with 16 wickets at 31.93 in three matches. Rangana Herath, on the other hand, had 28 scalps at 12.75. In the first two Tests of the ongoing series, Lyon has taken only two wickets, bowling 61 overs.

Number Shame

7- Number of wins in Steven Smith’s first 11 Tests as captain, without a single loss.

4- Number of innings defeats Australia have suffered at home since 2010. They went 17 years without the ignominy prior to that.

246- In the second Test match at Hobart was Australia’s lowest match total at home in 116 years.