Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Australia’s batting is back under the microscope after Marnus Labuschagne’s latest disappointment headlined a collapse to 6-69 at lunch on day four in Gqeberha.
Labuschagne was out for 14 on Wednesday morning, with Marco Jansen’s four wickets blowing the door wide open for the Proteas after their first-innings 9(dec)-425.
South Africa can now eye off bowling Australia out for 225 or less to set up a follow on, and pursue victory at St George’s Park to level the series at 1-1 with a Test to play.
Steve Smith has offered the lone resistance for Australia with 26no as part of an engrossing battle with Kagiso Rabada, while also looking out of sorts with a neck issue.
But beyond this Test, and with a busy 10 months ahead, Australia have massive decisions to make.
Significant pressure is now mounting on Labuschagne, who has not scored a Test century since the fourth Test of the 2023 Ashes.
He was briefly dropped last year before being recalled, with coach Andrew McDonald declaring in August he “needs some big runs”.
In four innings since against Bangladesh and South Africa, Labuschagne has made scores of 4, 37, 37 and 14.
He was superbly caught in the slips on Wednesday by Simon Harmer, who dived low and one-handed to his left when Labuschagne edged Anrich Nortje.
The Queenslander may not even be Australia’s biggest issue, with Nic Maddinson’s first-innings duck on Tuesday night potentially making him the first to go.
Maddinson played and missed at one drive off Rabada before edging his fourth ball to slip.
Since his shock recall in the first Test, Maddinson has now made scores of 0, 48 and 0 to leave his career average at 10.71.
Australia have Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly as reserve batters on this tour, while Cameron Green bowled in the nets on Wednesday in a sign the allrounder is overcoming an abdomen strain.
They may need to move Renshaw back up to the top of the order, after last week’s Test heroics at No.5 had seen him remain in the middle at St George’s Park.
Renshaw had offered some support to Smith on Wednesday before edging Jansen to slip on 12, before the quick removed Alex Carey for a duck later in the same over.
Another potential concern is Travis Head, who was lbw to a Marco Jansen ball that seamed back a long way for 14 on Wednesday.
The South Australian had a superb first summer as opener in the Ashes last season on moving from No.5, but has now not passed 25 in his past six innings.
The other man out for Australia on day four was tailender Scott Boland, who played a ball wide outside off from Jansen (4-16).
Meanwhile the Proteas have lost Nortje to an upper-leg injury, in a blow to their hopes of pursuing victory.
The speedster limped off four overs into his spell, while attempting to play back-to-back Tests without having featured in first-class cricket since March 2023.
