An early collapse by the Proteas left Australia with an undemanding target of 127 to wrap up the day-night Test in Adelaide by seven wickets on Sunday, writes TOM SIZELAND.
After the Proteas resumed their ragged second innings at 194-6 on the fourth day, it took the Australian pacemen just 16 overs to smash through the tail as they scraped together just 56 runs between them.
It overshadowed the gritty performance by Stephen Cook, who scrapped his way to his second Test century off 240 balls, containing just eight fours.
He added just 23 to his score of 81 overnight before being last out, bowled by a magnificent inswinger from Mitchell Starc. Again, he was fighting a lone battle; Vernon Philander’s 17 the next best offering in a disappointing display.
To be fair, Starc was on fire in the first session, taking 2-9 in 26 balls, with excellent support from Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird, who gave little away while taking a wicket apiece.
The Australians were never under pressure.
The run-out of David Warner (47), sent back by his upstart opening partner Matt Renshaw, and the immediate dismissal of Usman Khawaja, lbw to Tabraiz Shamsi, were just flickers of hope which were soon extinguished.
The Proteas, though, may have had cause to feel aggrieved when an lbw shout against Renshaw, on 17, was turned down, but there was much debate as to whether he was playing a shot.
Steve Smith (40) was undone by a brilliant delivery from Kyle Abbott, but by that time, the Aussies were 125-2, needing two runs for victory.
At the start of the day, the call was for Cook and Quinton de Kock to bat long and hard, but that hope was swiftly dispelled when De Kock went in the fifth over of the day, lbw to Bird with a score of five.
Ten overs later, Philander fell lbw to Starc. He reviewed the decision, but that was just wishful thinking. There was no need to reconsider Rabada’s dismissal as he gloved a leg-side delivery from Hazlewood to Matthew Wade.
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
