South Africa has come under fire from the cricket world after crumbling against Australia on day four including two calamitous run outs in a disastrous end to the Boxing Day Test for the visitors.
The Proteas were bowled out for 204 to fall a whole innings and 182 runs short of the Aussies in a one-sided showing as the three-match series was decided at 2-0.
The second run out was the most damning in a mix up between Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj in the middle of the pitch.
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Bavuma turned on his blind side for a third run, scampering halfway down the pitch and sending Maharaj back as Mitchell Starc’s direct hit at the stumps sent the South African walking back to the pavilion.
“That was a total disaster – two good runs and then one shocking run … complete confusion between Bavuma and Maharaj,” Australian great Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“That should’ve been an easy three … absolute disaster for South Africa, that sums up the first two Test matches for them.
“Just amateur hour from Bavuma unfortunately … that’s not good enough at Test level. It’s alright to be out to a good ball or a good bit of fielding, but not a mistake like that. They’re not quite up to Test level at the moment.”
New Zealand great Ian Smith added of the run out: “That is just a calamity, just dreadful cricket … it’s not a good thing about the South African running, not one good thing you can highlight.”
Thursday’s score of 204 featured collapses in either session – 3-18 in the first followed by 4-30 in the second in under nine overs to complete the major capitulation.
The last time the Proteas were so badly beaten Down Under was in 2001-02, when Australia won all three Tests by margins of nine wickets, 10 wickets and 256 runs respectively.
“It is the sign of a team not in sync when you get run outs like we’ve seen this morning,” former Aussie Test spinner Kerry O’Keefe said of South Africa.
“It’s not quite doing the basics well this team, and if you don’t do the basics well, you get hurt.”
Indeed, South Africa will be licking its wounds ahead of a dead rubber third Test at the SCG, where if nothing else, they can restore some pride.
Proteas skipper Dean Elgar admitted his side was ‘hammered’ by the Aussies and hoped his side put in a better effort in Sydney.
“It’s not easy at the moment, it’s a bit of a hammering that,” Elgar said.
“But we haven’t been up to speed with regards to the kind of intensity of play that Test cricket deserves.
“We’ve got to do a lot reflection going forward. I thought we were good in periods, so there a few positives out of that, but there’s not a lot.”
