Simon Harmer picked a career-best ۶-۱۶ as South Africa beat Australia by ۱۷۶ runs to clinch Test series ۲-۱.
Published On ۳۱ Oct ۲۰۲۶
Australia captain Pat Cummins said it was fair to ask questions about his side after they slipped to two heavy defeats in a row against hosts South Africa to lose the three-match series ۲-۱ at Newlands on Saturday.
Set ۲۸۸ for victory, Australia were rocked early on and could manage only ۱۱۱ to lose the third Test by ۱۷۶ runs, following their defeat by an innings and ۳۱ runs in the second match in the series.
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Australia next host New Zealand, and Cummins said the series loss meant questions were inevitable as South Africa took over from them as the number one side in the Test world rankings.
“We lost two games in a row. I think it’s fair to be asking questions and we’ll be asking them internally as well,” Cummins told reporters. “We are a very good side, but I think we need to get a little bit better if we want to get back to number one [in the world].
“Maybe that’s a change of style, maybe it’s a change of personnel in some instances. We’ll work it out.”
Cummins made the surprise decision to bowl first after winning the toss on the first morning, something that had been done only ۱۱ times before in Tests at Newlands since ۱۸۸۹.
As it proved, batting last was difficult on a wearing surface, and Australia fell to the spin of Simon Harmer, who took career-best figures of ۱۰-۱۲۰ in the match.
“We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game,” Cummins said. “We probably thought it was going to do a little bit more on day one than it did.
“You don’t win the toss and think you’re going to bowl the opposition out for ۱۰۰ or ۲۰۰, but we thought we could get ۱۰ wickets on day one and that would put us right ahead of the game.”
Cummins said poor decisions cost his batters and that their chase was as good as over in the first half-hour of the day.
“Chasing ۲۸۰-odd was never going to be easy, but we all turned up today and saw a pretty clear path forward. I thought it was achievable, but we never really gave ourselves a chance,” he said.
“There were a few really poor decisions. I know it’s a day-five wicket, but I don’t think it was drastic. There were runs to be scored out there; there were lots of balls to face.
“I think there are a few decisions the boys would like back. We have to get better. It’s happened a few times now.”
