Australia faced mounting calls for change Sunday after their feeble capitulation to South Africa in the third Test, with former great David Warner leading a savage backlash against the "utterly disgraceful" batting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Needing 288 to win on day five at Newlands in Cape Town, the visitors slumped to 111 all out, not only losing the Test but the series 2-1 after leading 1-0.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rubbing salt in the wound, it propelled defending world champions South Africa above Australia at the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australia went into the series with questions swirling around its ageing team, particularly the bowling "Big Four" of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It followed a shock nine-wicket Test loss to minnows Bangladesh in Darwin in August.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But it was the limp batting during the Cape Town run chase, characterised by poor shot selection and decision-making, that sparked a wave of withering criticism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I'm just upset, it's terrible, it's un-Australian. There's no fight whatsoever, it's disgraceful," said former dashing opener Warner in television commentary.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Chasing 288, you're winning a Test match, you could win a series, it's on the line, and this is the way that they're playing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I think it's deplorable but the batters have let the bowlers down the whole series."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He was not alone in slamming Saturday's collapse with Mark Waugh, who was part of the 2002 Australian team who pulled off a record run chase at Newlands, also fuming.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"That was a terrible two hours of batting. That was immature … it was terrible," he said. "The shot selection, the technique and the execution was not good enough."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australia's batting issues have long pre-dated this tour.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They have struggled to find a stable opening pair since Warner retired in 2024, followed by his long-time partner Usman Khawaja, with Nic Maddinson the latest to flop when given a chance in South Africa.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Yet another failure by number three Marnus Labuschagne could spell the end of his Test career after being handed countless opportunities by selectors despite under-performing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But there were some green shoots with Matt Renshaw making the most of a recall to slam 190 in the first Test, batting at five, and a gutsy 74 alongside Travis Head as opener in the third Test.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
And with Steve Smith sidelined by a neck injury at Cape Town, Josh Inglis came in and crunched a century to remind selectors of his worth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australian media said it was time for some serious introspection ahead of a home Test series against New Zealand in December-January.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- Succession planning -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n "Undeniably, these results provide the impetus for further regeneration of the Test team," The Sydney Morning Herald said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "There will now be a strong case that the current approach -– patching up an ageing team with more senior players -- must make way for something more dynamic."<\/p>\r\n\r\n National broadcaster ABC agreed, saying a rigorous post-mortem was needed with succession planning at the forefront.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "The national selection panel should be interrogated first, and at length, yet so should several experienced batsmen who batted brainlessly at the critical moments," it said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "Some tough and maybe unpopular decisions now await Australian cricket -- not knee-jerk reactions to public outcry, and not wholesale personnel changes for now.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "But there are matters of strategy and succession planning far more complicated than Marnus's sad slump into redundancy."<\/p>\r\n\r\n Skipper Pat Cummins, himself under scrutiny for choosing to bowl after winning the toss in Cape Town, admitted changes were possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "I think it's fair to be asking those questions. So we'll be asking them internally as well," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "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 and where we think we can be.<\/p>\r\n\r\n