WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016 SPORTS Only four safe in shattered Australia: Lehmann

HOBART: Coach declared only for next week’s final day-night Test in Adelaide. back to his best and then you’ve got Smith and the dressing room after the defeat. four players were sure to keep their places in the As a consequence of the early-finishing Hobart Warner. “Everybody is hurting in the rooms. I haven’t Australian team after another demoralising batting Test, all batsmen, including wicketkeeper Peter “Outside of that everyone’s got to make some seen it as quiet after a loss and that’s understand- collapse handed South Africa a crushing series vic- Nevill and spinner Nathan Lyon, but not the three runs and take some . able because of the performances,” he said. “We tory in Hobart yesterday. pace bowlers, will be required to play in this week’s It’s a really important four days of Shield .” pride ourselves on playing for our country and we In what is becoming a regular occurrence, the round of domestic Sheffield Shield before the Test Those looking down the gun are 37-year-old bats- haven’t done that well enough over the last three Australians folded spectacularly losing eight wick- squad is named on Sunday. Lehmann, who also man , opener Joe Burns and Callum and a half days.” He said former greats were talking ets for 32 runs in just under 20 overs for an innings sits on the selection panel, said that only Smith, Ferguson, who both came in for the Hobart Test. with the shattered players, offering advice and and 80-run defeat to the Proteas before lunch on and pace pair Mitchell Starc and Spinner Lyon is another whose place is at risk after support going forward. the fourth day. The batting freefall has intensified Josh Hazlewood would be sure of keeping their taking just two wickets at 120.50 each in the South “Mark Taylor and have been chat- scrutiny on ’s embattled side after their spots. “We’ve got to stop the rot, we’ve got to work Africa series. ting to the guys one on one. Ian Healy, Tom fifth straight heavy Test defeat this year, all by 100 out what the best XI is,” Lehmann told reporters. “Like everyone else, Adam’s been a very good Moody, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, we’ve had a lot of runs or more. “Guys playing in this Test match, some were dis- player for us for 20-odd Test matches. End of the the legends come in,” he said. Lehmann, whose coaching position is also appointed in their performances and they get the day he’s got to go back and make runs like every- “The young guys who are playing today looked under scrutiny after it was extended to 2019 only chance to play the Shield games to put their hand one else,” Lehmann said. up to them. It’s great to have them in the rooms last August, said there will “definitely” be changes up. “I thought Hazlewood was great, Starc’s getting The coach said there was a desolate mood in and speaking to them.” —AFP

Five infamous batting collapses by Australia

HOBART: Five batting collapses by Galle, August 2016 Australia, who lost the second Test Australia lose nine wickets for 52 against South Africa by an innings and runs in the first innings before slump- 80 runs yesterday: ing to a 229-run defeat in the second Test against Sri Lanka. The visitors are Cape Town, November 2011 on 54 for 1 before is Australia crash to their worst total in bowled by Dilruwan Perera, precipitat- more than a century as they collapse to ing their rapid demise to 106 all out. 47 all out in the second innings against The eventual defeat hands Sri Lanka an South Africa in Cape Town. Bowlers unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon are the series, and the hosts later win the third only players to reach double figures as Test to complete a 3-0 sweep. Australia lose the first Test by eight wickets. It clocks in as Australia’s fourth Perth, November 2016 lowest total, the other three coming Australia reach 158 without loss, against England in a 14-year span from well placed to overhaul South Africa’s 1888 to 1902. “Yes, it’s Australia and not first innings 242 when David Warner is Austria,” jokes former Australia leg- dismissed for 97, the first of 10 wickets spinner Bryce McGain. to fall for 86 as they finish just two runs ahead on 244, despite strike bowler Trent Bridge, August 2015 Dale Steyn’s departure with a broken Australia make just 60 in 18.3 overs, shoulder. The visitors then slam 540 in the shortest completed first innings in their second innings and canter to vic- history, to lose the fourth Test against tory by 177 runs. England and surrender the coveted Ashes trophy. Only two players- Hobart, November 2016 Michael Clarke, and fast bowler A collapse in each innings sets the -reach double figures, seal on South Africa’s series victory and and Australia’s highest single scorer is indicates a crisis for Australia, who suf- extras, with 14. Social media makes hay fer their fifth straight Test defeat. In the as Australia’s entire innings, ball by ball, first innings, Smith’s unbeaten 48 HOBART: South Africa’s paceman Kagiso Rabada (C) jumps in the air to celebrate the of Australia’s captain Steven Smith with can be repeated in a single, 140-char- accounts for more than half of teammates on the fourth day’s play of the second match between Australia and South Africa in Hobart yesterday. —AFP acter tweet, with room to spare. For Australia’s 85 all out. Vernon Philander England, fast bowler Stuart Broad takes takes 5-21 for South Africa. an astonishing eight wickets for just 15 There’s no improvement from runs. It isn’t Australia’s first collapse in Australia in the second innings as they South Africa clinches the series, after they lost 5-25 and 6-50 lose their last eight wickets for 32 runs in the first Test, and 5-60 and 4-30 in to go down by an innings and 80 runs the third. Clarke announces his retire- in just two days and one session of ment after the ‘Terror at Trent Bridge’, play, after the second day was washed series with emphatic win handing the baton to Steve Smith. out. —AFP

HOBART: South Africa clinched its three-test series in Australia with a match to spare yes- terday, leaving Steve Smith’s team facing the prospect of an unprecedented sweep on home soil after yet another woeful batting performance. With the 177-run win in Perth and the innings and 80-run victory in Hobart, South Africa secured its third consecutive test series win in Australia - following victories in 2008-09 and 2012-13 - and handed Smith a fifth straight test defeat as Australia captain. The Australians were ranked No. 1 until being swept 3-0 in Sri Lanka in July. South Africa entered the series without inspirational captain A.B. de Villiers, was ranked No. 5 and lost strike bowler Dale Steyn early in the open- ing match in Perth. Yet it’s the Australians who are in disarray. Selectors are scrambling to assemble a team that can bat for a day in time for the third test, a day-night match which starts Nov. 24 in Adelaide. It’s only the second day-night test ever played in Australia, 12 months after a low- scoring win over New Zealand in the first. It also presents the South African pacemen with an ideal chance to exploit the brittle batting lineup that has been exposed in this series with collapses of 10-86 in Perth, 85 all out on the opening day in Hobart, and 8-32 yesterday. Australia has never been swept in a test series on home soil, and is in grave danger of ending that streak. “Australia is one of the toughest places to come and win,” said Faf du Plessis, who was standing in for de Villers as captain. “We are looking to go for places that may have seemed unlikely. This is a very spe- HOBART: Australia’s captain Steven Smith (R) and Joe Mennie wait for third umpire’s decision on cial moment. There is an opportunity to play for leg-before-wicket appeal by South Africa’s paceman Kagiso Rabada on the fourth day’s play the pink ball and beat Australia 3-0.” of the second Test cricket match between Australia and South Africa in Hobart yesterday. —AFP The Australians resumed on day four of the second test at 121 for two, still needing 121 to “We’ve lost five consecutive test matches - rebuilding but cracks have appeared recently, make South Africa bat again. that’s not good enough for an Australian team. and South Africa had the right ingredients to Usman Khawaja top-scored with 64 but was “We need to find a way to have a bit more exploit them. Now the whole set up, from out swiping at a ball from Kyle Abbott and fight and hunger, and a bit more pride.” Lehmann to the top administrators, is under edging behind, triggering the staggering col- Australia’s worst recent run was around the pressure. lapse. Australia slumped from 129-2 to all out tumultuous end to South African Mickey “It’s definitely attitude. It’s an aggressive for 166 before lunch. Abbott, who was called Arthur’s tenure as Australian coach, when it attitude that makes sure you’re always in the up to replace Steyn for the second test, Lokesh Rahul was swept 4-0 in India and the team was rid- opposition’s faces,” du Plessis explained of returned 6-77 and Kagiso Rabada, playing his dled with acrimony. South Africa’s approach to the series. “If you 10th test and already showing promise well Darren Lehmann took over and lost the first want to beat Australia, you have to play that beyond his experience, had 4-34 in conditions two tests in England before the losing streak sort of game. I think we did that better than Rahul returns that were good but not unnaturally advanta- ended. Since then, the Australians have been them.” —AP geous for swing or seam movement. It was almost a repeat of day one, when to India squad South Africa sent Australia in to bat and had SCOREBOARD the hosts 8-4 before Smith’s unbeaten 48 helped the home team narrowly avoid some unwanted records. The South Africans replied HOBART: Scoreboard at close of play on the fourth day in the second Test between Australia and MUMBAI: India received a boost yesterday match Test series starts in Visakhapatnam, South Africa on yesterday in Hobart, Australia. with the news that opener Lokesh Rahul in Andhra Pradesh, tomorrow. Rahul’s time- with 326, with Quinton de Kock scoring 104 has recovered from injury and is in con- ly return threatens the spot of veteran and sharing a 144-run partnership with Temba Australia 1st innings 85 (V. Philander 5-21). J. Hazlewood 6 South Africa 1st innings 326 (Q. de Kock 104, T. N. Lyon c Philander b Abbott 4 tention to face England in this week’s sec- opener Gautam Gambhir, who disappoint- Bavuma (74), to set up a 241-run lead. It was all over in 19.2 overs on day four. With Bavuma 74; J. Hazlewood 6-89) Extras (lb-1 nb-1) 2 ond Test. “Rahul has fully recovered from ed in the first Test. Australia 2nd innings (Overnight: 121-2) Total (all out, 60.1 overs) 161 his right hamstring injury and would be Gambhir is trying to re-establish himself rain preventing any play on Sunday, and other disruptions for showers or bad light, the J. Burns c de Kock b Abbott 0 Fall of wickets: 1-0 J. Burns, 2-79 D. Warner, 3-129 joining the squad today,” the Board of in the team after two years in the interna- D. Warner b Abbott 45 U. Khawaja, 4-135 A. Voges, 5-140 C. Ferguson, 6- Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in an tional wilderness but could only notch 29 Hobart test was decided inside only seven ses- U. Khawaja c de Kock b Abbott 64 150 P. Nevill, 7-150 J. Mennie, 8-151 S. Smith, 9- emailed statement. before an embarrassing duck in the second sions. S. Smith c de Kock b Rabada 31 151 M. Starc, 10-161 N. Lyon The right-handed batsman, 24, missed innings. “We’ve got to find a way to be a bit more A. Voges c Duminy b Abbott 2 : K. Abbott 23.1-3-77-6; V. Philander 16-6- the opening Test in Rajkot-in India’s west- India held on for a tense draw with four resilient and turn things around because we’re C. Ferguson c Elgar b Rabada 1 31-0(nb-1); J. Duminy 1-0-8-0; K. Rabada 17-5-34- ern state of Gujarat-which finished in a wickets in hand while chasing 310 and will not in a great place. Whether it’s seaming, P. Nevill c Duminy b Rabada 6 4; K. Maharaj 3-0-10-0. swinging or spinning we’re having some trou- J. Mennie lbw b Rabada 0 Result: South Africa won by an innings and 80 draw on Sunday. be looking to secure a first win of the series M. Starc c de Kock b Abbott 0 runs. The second of what is a marathon five- in Visakhapatnam. —AFP ble,” Smith said.