Skipper Steve Smith said Australia needed a shake-up but backed under-fire coach Darren Lehmann after the hosts slumped to a humiliating series defeat to South Africa
Australia skipper Steve Smith walks off after he was caught behind by South Africa’s Quinton de Kock off Kagiso Rabada for 31 (in 150 minutes) during Day Four of the second Test at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart yesterday. Pics/Getty Images
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Hobart: “Embarrassed” skipper Steve Smith said Australia needed a shake-up but backed under-fire coach Darren Lehmann after the hosts slumped to a humiliating series defeat to South Africa here on Tuesday.
Eight wickets fell for 32 runs as Australia went down by an innings and 80 runs before lunch on the fourth day of the rain-hit second Test, their fifth straight loss in the format.
It followed an inglorious rout of 85 in the first innings, and a 10-86 batting collapse in the first innings of their comprehensive first-Test loss in Perth.
Ashen-faced Smith told reporters he was humiliated by the manner of Australia’s abject surrender, and said something had to change ahead of next week’s day-night third Test in Adelaide.
“I am embarrassed to be sitting here, to be perfectly honest with you. Too many times we have lost wickets in clumps, 8-32 today, 10-85 in the first innings,” Smith said.
“And it is happening way too consistently for my liking. We are not being resilient, we are not willing to tough it out and get through tough periods... it is not good enough.”
Smith, who remained 48 not out in the first innings shambles and scored 31 at his second visit to the crease, foreshadowed selection changes as Australian cricket grapples to fix its demoralised national team.
“It is not working. So, obviously on the back of five losses there is going to be a lot talked about in regards to selection and things like that,” the 17-Test skipper said.
“We’ve got to start finding a way to turn things around. Whether the ball is seaming or spinning or swinging we don’t have an answer at the moment. We are not resilient enough, we are not digging in enough, we are not having the pride in our wicket, we’re just not being resilient enough and something has got to change. We have got to play a lot better if we are going to beat any opposition around the world.”
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