Aussies roll dice in bid to stop Proteas
CRI S I S -T OR N Au s - tralia will attempt to pr e v e nt r a mpa nt Sout h A f r ic a f rom a n u npr e c e dent e d s e r i e s clea n sweep i n Thursday ’s d a y-n i g ht t h i r d Te s t i n Adelaide after a team shakeup of historic proportions.
Stung by t wo humiliat ing defeats in Perth and Hobart, t he Aussies have made si x changes in a bid to stop t he rot and f ight of f t he Proteas’ quest to become t he f i r st touring team to sweep a series in Austra lia.
It is a seismic selection switch in the wake of last week’s sudden resignation of chairman of selectors Rod Marsh and intensifying pressure on the game’s top officials and coach Darren Lehmann.
Not since only t wo players f rom t he f i f t h Test aga i nst England in August 1977 made it into t he tea m for t he f irst Te s t a g a i n s t I nd i a t h r e e mont hs l ater, a f ter World Series Cricket rebelled against t he establishment, has t here been such a clean-out of the Austra lia n side.
The last time there were as many as five changes midseason – which is likely given either pacemen Jackson Bird or Chadd Sayers is likely to be 12th man in Adelaide – was in the 1977-78 series against India after an innings defeat in Sydney.
Selectors, with Trevor Hohns taking over from Marsh as interim chairman, named three young batsmen – English-born Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson – to make their debuts and recalled Sayers, Bird and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
It was a decisive and drastic intervention by the under-fire selection panel in the wake of Australia’s fifth straight heavy Test defeat, including the 3-0 series drubbing in Sri Lanka last August.
“I’m not for one minute going to suggest an immediate turnaround,” Hohns said.
“Patience will be required but we are obviously hopeful that these players can gel together and ultimately stop the downward losing momentum we are currently experiencing.
“It’s no secret that our Test team has not functioned or performed to the level we expect.
“We accept t hat a lot of t he criticism t hat has come our way ha s been wa r r a nted, however, I ask that ever ybody ta ke a deep breat h a nd get behind these blokes in what is going to be a ver y test ing time for t hem.”
Du Plessis evades ban
The reinforcements will be aiming to bolster Australia’s insipid batting, which was routed for 85 by South Africa in Hobart after suffering a humil- iating 10 for 86 collapse in the first innings at Perth.
Lehmann said it was important he and fellow coaches instil confidence and positivity in the new-look squad.
“I’ve never seen a side so hurt after Hobart, an Australian side. We’ve got to pick them up, get them positive,” he said.
South Africa have problems of their own with skipper Faf du Plessis found guilty late yesterday of an ICC charge of ball tampering in the Hobart Test.
Du Plessis, who was fined 50 percent of his match fee in 2013 for ball tampering in the second Test against Pakistan, was fined 100 percent of his Hobart match fee but was cleared to play in this week’s third Test.
Heightening tensions ahead of the game, South African security shoved an Australian television reporter up against a glass door as he attempted to interview Du Plessis at Adelaide airport on Monday, with the team accusing the media of “harassment”.
Despite this, the South Africans, with their pace trio Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott dominating the Australian batting, will fancy their chances bowling with the pink ball in swinging conditions under lights at Adelaide Oval.
It will be only the second day-night Test in Australia after the home side thrillingly beat New Zealand by three wickets on only the third day in Adelaide last year.