Australia lost their fifth consecutive bilateral series against South Africa as they succumbed to an 84-run defeat in second ODI of the three-match series. More than the bowlers, their batters are under extreme pressure as Australia have been extremely poor with the bat for almost a year.
Last four matches at home – LOST. Record in last 8 ODIs – 1 win, 7 LOSSES. These are not the records of any minnow team but the 2023 World Champions, Australia. The T20 World Cup might be approaching in the next six months, but they should already worry about the ODI World Cup in 2027. Such has been their state in the 50-over format that Australia should start taking ODI seriously sooner rather than later.
They got bowled out for just 193 runs in the second ODI against South Africa, chasing the target of 278 runs. This was their fourth sub-200 total in the last eight matches and their overall seventh loss, with their only win coming against England in the Champions Trophy while chasing 352 runs. Their scores with the bat in the remaining seven lost matches are 163 (vs PAK), 140 (vs PAK), 165 (vs SL),ย 107 (vs SL), 264 (vs IND), 198 (vs SA), 193 (vs SA).
Australia’s batting performance in last 8 ODIs
| Score | Opposition | Result |
| 163/10 | Pakistan | Lost |
| 140/10 | Pakistan | Lost |
| 165/10 | Sri Lanka | Lost |
| 107/10 | Sri Lanka | Lost |
| 356/5 | England | Won |
| 264/10 | India | Lost |
| 198/10 | South Africa | Lost |
| 193/10 | South Africa | Lost |
Steve Smith’s absence, a factor in Australia’s poor show?
Steve Smith, the fulcrum of Australia’s batting line-up in ODIs, announced his retirement from the format soon after the Champions Trophy. But even before that, cracks in their batting were visible and even Smith’s leadership couldn’t help them in the ICC event. He was rested in the third ODI against Pakistan in November 2024 when they were folded for only 140 runs.
But the fact that Smith won’t return to the format again and add to it the retirements from experienced Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, leaves a massive challenge for Australia, especially in the middle-order, to build a team from scratch.
Inglis, Labuschagne, and Hardie must learn to build an innings
It is believed that the ODI format is just an extension of the T20s, but in demanding conditions, one has to build an innings and this is where the current lot of Aussie batters must learn quickly. Players like Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis, among a few others, have big shoes to fill in the middle and lower-middle order. While they have all the talent in the world, this set of players will have to learn to build an innings and rotate strike.
T20 mindset doesn’t always work in the 50-over format and they must have known this in the first two matches of the series against South Africa. The pitches were a bit challenging and they could neither tackle pace nor the spin challenge and are in danger of being whitewashed only for the fourth time in history.
Australia have been whitewashed only twice in a series of more than two matches, by New Zealand in 2006-07 (3-0) and by England (5-0) in 2018. South Africa have come very close to becoming only the fourth team to clean sweep the Aussies and it is up to the hosts to respond to the challenge as they look forward to the next World Cup in 2027.
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