A look at Australia’s recent Test innings totals makes for grim reading.
These were the 17 innings totals that preceded this Test, not including innings in which Australia chased and won: 210, 198, 284, 567, 152, 132, 371, 349, 511, 132, 205, 225, 121, 286, 243, 180 and 310.
So, from those 17 innings, Australia failed to reach 250 on 10 occasions.
Those innings span this year’s home series against Bangladesh, last summer’s home Ashes and the 2025 tour of the Caribbean.
Evidently, the Aussies have again struggled with the bat in the first innings of the South Africa series, limping to stumps on day one at 6-187.
The tourists need Matthew Renshaw and Pat Cummins to go on with the promising partnership they’ve begun to put together.
Marnus Labuschagne after losing his wicket in Durban. Getty Images