Australia’s inability to contend with a pitch that offers any assistance for the bowlers was brutally exposed once again as they were shot out for 161 in the second innings to give South Africa a convincing innings victory on day four of the second Test at Hobart.
After being bowled out for 85 on day one of the second Test, Australia needed to bounce back immediately but Quinton de Kock continued his impressive form in 2016 by bringing up another century as South Africa put on 326 in their first innings.
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Despite an entire day being lost to rain, Australia went into day four, still 120 runs behind the Proteas with eight wickets in hand. Unfortunately for Australia, after losing Usman Khawaja early another collapse where they lost their last eight wickets for just 32 runs meant that Australia were bowled out for 161, handing the visitors a victory by an innings and 80 runs and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series.
Here are some interesting numbers from Australia’s loss to South Africa.
1 – This was Australia’s first innings defeat at home to South Africa and their 20th overall. England (13) and West Indies (3) are the only two to have inflicted more than one innings defeat, while India, Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa have all done that once.
2 – England were the last team to beat Australia in two consecutive Tests in Australia before South Africa did today. They did it in 2010/11.
3 – South Africa became only the third team after England and West Indies to win three consecutive Test series in Australia. This was also their third successive Test win in Australia.
3.76 – Australia’s No.5 to No.11 finished the Hobart Test with just 49 runs to their names, at an average of 3.76. This is the worst performance from Australia’s 5 to 11 since 1912 when they averaged just 2.41 against England at The Oval. Overall, this is the third-worst average for Australia’s 5-11 in a Test and their worst at home.
4 – Only four teams have scored fewer than South Africa’s 326 and complete an innings victory in Australia and the lowest since 1993.
5 – Australia have now lost five Tests in a row, having lost none of their previous nine before that (P 9 W 7 L 2). They lost the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka 3-0 and are in danger of repeating the same feat at home to South Africa.
6 – Australia's tally of 246 runs in the second Test is their sixth-lowest in home Tests but the most recent occasion when they scored fewer in a home Test was 112 years ago against England when they scored just 233 in Melbourne.
11 – After being unbeaten in his first 11 Tests as captain, winning seven and drawing four, Steve Smith has now last his last five Tests.
14.8 – Adam Voges has now played 20 Tests, while he had a brilliant start, he averages a meagre 14.8 in his last five Tests. Breaking down his Test career into quarters, he averaged 40 in his first quarter, 68 in his second and a whopping 342 in his third quarter.
16 – The number of Australian batsmen who were dismissed for single digits in this Test. The only other team to have dismissed 16 Australians in single figures in a Test is England, who have done it thrice, the last of which came in 1912.
32 – Australia lost their last eight wickets for just 32 runs, which equalled their worst collapse in Test history. In 1888, they did the same agianst England in Sydney.
558 – Australia batted for just 558 balls in the entire Test. The last time had batted so few balls in a home Test loss was on Don Bradman’s debut in 1928.
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