Proteas slump to defeat, ending Australia's 17-year wait
- Doug Mattushek
- 29 December 2022
Australia rolled over South Africa for an innings and 182 run victory at the MCG on Thursday, ending a 17-year home series drought against the visitors.
The Baggy Greens last tasted a series victory against the Proteas at home in 2005/2006, but another comprehensive win has gone a long way to break the hoodoo.
South Africa were put into to bat after the hosts declared on 575/8 on Wednesday. Having lost captain Dean Elgar early, they resumed on 15/1 with a mammoth task ahead.
A good review would see the end of Sarel Erwee, who was trapped in front by a bloodied Mitchell Starc. Theunis de Bruyn followed shortly after, knicking off to Scott Boland, but the Proteas' woes were just beginning.
Temba Bavuma, perhaps the most in-form Test batter in the lineup, was seemingly the guilty party in two run-outs. First, he pushed to mid-off harder than what he thought and set off for a run, but birthday boy Travis Head was sharp, scooping up the ball and hitting the stumps, leaving what had been a patient Khaya Zondo out of the frame altogether. That left the visitors teetering on 65-5.
Later, Keshav Maharaj set off for an easy third run but Bavuma took a couple of steps and sent him back, leaving the spinner stranded in the middle as Starc knocked over the woodwork.
In between, Kyle Verreynne scored a free-flowing 33, combining with Bavuma for a fifth-wicket partnership of 63. Boland dismissed Verreynne via lbw, while first innings hero Marco Jansen fell cheaply via the same method to tweaker Nathan Lyon.
Bavuma's vigil of 65 came to an end with a slog sweep, putting Australia's attack well among the bowlers. A swashbuckling 19 off 21 from Lungi Ngidi actually got the Proteas over 200 for the first time in seven Test innings.
Steve Smith's leg spin, perhaps fittingly given it was the Shane Warne Test, then wrapped up South Africa's innings, giving Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.
