Chronicle EditorADELAIDE. – Crisis-torn Australia will attempt to prevent rampant South Africa from an unprecedented series clean sweep in tomorrow’s day-night third Test cricket in Adelaide after a team shake-up of historic proportions.Stung by two humiliating defeats in Perth and Hobart, the Aussies have made six changes in a bid to stop the rot and fight off the Proteas’ quest to become the first touring team to sweep a series in Australia.
It is a seismic selection switch in the wake of last week’s sudden resignation of chairperson of selectors Rod Marsh and intensifying pressure on the game’s top officials and coach Darren Lehmann.
Not since only two players from the fifth Test against England in August 1977 made it into the team for the first Test against India three months later, after World Series Cricket rebelled against the establishment, has there been such a clean-out of the Australian side.
The last time there were as many as five changes mid-season – which is likely given either pacemen Jackson Bird or Chadd Sayers is likely to be 12th man in Adelaide – was in the 1977-78 series against India after an innings defeat in Sydney. Selectors, with Trevor Hohns taking over from Marsh as interim chairperson, named three young batsmen – English-born Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson – to make their debuts and recalled Sayers, Bird and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
It was a decisive and drastic intervention by the under-fire selection panel in the wake of Australia’s fifth straight heavy Test defeat, including the 3-0 series drubbing in Sri Lanka last August.
“I’m not for one minute going to suggest an immediate turnaround,” Hohns said. – AFP.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter