The cricketing world is fuming over the “horrific” act after the Australians won the Boxing Day Test

Cricket fans and commentators have destroyed South Africa in the Boxing Day Test on Thursday. Australia beat the tourists with only 204 euros win by an innings and 182 runsgot their first series victory over South Africa on home soil in 17 years.

South Africa managed to pass 200 for the first time in eight innings, but by just a little. Their batting managed just 189 and 204 in total as Australia amassed 8-575 in the first innings at the MCG.

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Apart from the poor shot selection, the Proteas had an absolute nightmare running between the shots on Thursday. Temba Bavuma was involved in two runs and came under heavy fire after that Khaya Zondo’s dismissals and Keshav Maharaj.

Maharaj’s dismissal summed up South Africa’s woeful series so far, with Bavuma burning his teammates with a terrible late call while trying to run for three. Bavuma sent his batting partner back to the dangerous end and Mitchell Starc threw down the stumps to pack him.

This is really schoolboy stuff… watch him turn here. His back to the play and then trying to pin it back the other way, Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7. By then it was too late – definitely grill your partner. Lazy running has cost another penny.

Speaking on Fox Sports, Mark Waugh said that getting two runs in one innings is an “under-10 thing” in Test cricket. It was a total disaster, two good runs and then one shocking run,” he said of Maharaj’s dismissal.

Complete confusion between Bavuma and Maharaj. Should have been an easy three. An absolute disaster for South Africa. That sums up their first two Test matches.

Ian Smith declared it an accident and terrible cricket, before Waugh added: An amateur lesson from Bavuma, unfortunately. It is not enough for the test level. It’s just not good enough. It’s okay to be on a good ball or a good pitch, but not that kind of mistake.

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That was an attitude too, selfish. You think about yourself, you don’t think about your partner. You are out of sync with your teammates.

Even more embarrassing for South Africa was that all-rounder Cameron Green was unable to bowl in the second innings due to a broken finger, while Mitchell Starc bowled with a badly damaged finger. Part-time leg-spinner Steve Smith claimed the final wicket completes the Proteas’ humiliation.

Pat Cummins declares Australia the best Test team

Australia had not won a Test series at home against South Africa since the 2005–06 season, when Ricky Ponting was captain. Thursday’s win marked their first series win over the Proteas anywhere in the world since 2014.

“Yeah, probably the best Test team I’ve played in,” Cummins said of his Australians, who are now just one win away from securing their place in the World Cup final. “Just in terms of how well established everyone is, how well everyone knows our game plan.

“As far as captaincy goes, I don’t feel like I have to do a lot, everyone takes care of themselves. Just in a really sweet spot at the moment, we know it’s not going to stay like this forever, but I think we can just relax and appreciate where we’re at right now .”

South Africa are truly in transition following the retirement of Test greats Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis. Captain Dean Elgar defended his inexperienced side after Thursday’s defeat.

“Remember guys, they’re not crap cricketers… to be blunt,” he said of his message for the final Test of the series. “That’s what we play for, there will be a third test – playing for the brand, playing for the pride of our team.

“2-1 sounds better than 3-0, so we have to believe that we can still recover and push for the third test.”

with AAP

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