NEW-LOOK AUSSIES STRUGGLE

sandpaper-gate scandal is clearly affecting the newlook team in the fourth Test, according to key Australian figures.

Paceman Pat Cummins and bowling coach David Saker conceded the energy had been sapped out of the Australians as the Proteas edged closer to an historic Test win.

Cummins, who stepped up in the absence of Mitchell Starc, bagged 5-83 but was unable to stop the Proteas’ 488 first-innings total.

“It’s been tough, especially those couple of days after Cape Town. But the day before the match we spoke about that it’s still a Test match for Australia, let’s find a way,” Cummins said.

“We spoke about energy and all those kind of things.

“It’s been reasonable, and obviously there’s always something else to think about sometimes in the field.

“I know when it started yesterday I was a bit weird not seeing Davey (Warner) and (Steve) Smithy and Bangers (Cameron Bancroft) out there, but I think we’ve been pretty good.

“Yeah, it has (felt different). I think a lot of it is forced change – it always feels a little different playing with different people.

“But this is a moment where we can really have a think about how we play the game, and I think you’ve seen we’ve all been pretty relaxed out there, but really competitive.

“After this we’ve got a bit of a break, and we can think about how we want to play.

“I think the way it’s been played has been really good this game.”

Saker said the controversies of the past week had clearly rattled the team, while taking nothing away from the fastfinishing Proteas.

“It’s obviously one of the factors. It put three guys into a Test match – two have come from Australia, one hasn’t played a competitive game for a while – it was always going to be a bit tough,” Saker said.

“But the opposition bowled particularly well and we didn’t deal with that.

“That’s been a little bit of the story of the series so far. We didn’t leave the ball well. They’ve outplayed us for sure.

“After the week we’ve had there’s a lot of disappointment in the room that we can’t put something together but we’re not thinking too much about what’s happening at home.

“We’re thinking about the people that are part of our team that we’ve lost and that’s hurting a lot of people in the dressing room and that’s probably something that’s hard to get out of their mind while they’re playing.”

Meanwhile Cricket Australia board member Mark Taylor has hinted the sport’s national governing body will consider banning sledging.

Taylor was asked on Channel 9’s Sports Sunday if CA would consider telling its players to cut out sledging forever.

“That’s a possibility,” the former Australian captain responded.

“You’re not going to stop people talking on the field. But talking is one thing, abusing, sledging, bullying, verbalising, whatever you want to call it, is another thing and it has gone too far and we said that three weeks ago.”

IT’S OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE FACTORS. IT PUT THREE GUYS INTO A TEST MATCH – TWO HAVE COME FROM AUSTRALIA, ONE HASN’T PLAYED A COMPETITIVE GAME FOR A WHILE – IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A BIT TOUGH AUSTRALIAN BOWLING COACH DAVID SAKER