‘It’s looking like that...’: Cummins’ selection reveal after SA disaster as Aussies set for big shake-up

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has conceded selectors will look closely at the positions of several players after a humilating innings defeat in the second Test against South Africa in Gqeberha.

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As he assessed the fall-out from the loss to the Proteas, which were 6-110 in their first innings, Cummins said he was confident the defeat would kick the top-ranked team into gear for what is a highly-anticipated Test.

“I think a loss can sometimes kick yourself into gear,” Cummins said.

“You can maybe … paper over the cracks sometimes in a win, whereas I think in a loss, it makes you ask questions, as a player, of yourself.

“What could I’ve done differently to try and win? So I imagine tonight won’t be too much (different to that). Everyone is probably a bit emotional after a loss like today. But once we get to Cape Town over the next day or two, we will go to work.

“We’ll have two or three good training sessions (and) I’m sure the batters will get together, talk about what they could have done differently and how they’re going to plan for Cape Town. (It will be the) same with the bowlers.

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“So we probably (will do) not much over the next 48 hours. Obviously, it’s not like a home tour where you might be flying people in or out or whatever. Everyone’s here, so we will clear our heads for two days, then we go back in.”

While Cummins did not commit to changes after the loss, they are clearly on the cards,.

The batting disaster on Wednesday is the biggest issue.

Does the team make wholesale changes and look to Cameron Green, who will almost certainly return, along with Josh Inglis or Cooper Connolly, who spent time facing spin in the middle with George Bailey watching on?

“That’s the challenge. It’s not a perfect science,” Cummins said.

“Do you give someone one more game, or do you feel like now is the right time to make a move?

“So that’s what will be spoken about over the next few days. I think we will probably have Cam Green and Josh Inglis available for next week.

“It’s looking like that, so I’m sure … their names will get thrown around as well when we try and work out 11.

“But it’s always that delicate balance. Does it feel like someone’s just about to turn the corner, and they’re going to be away, or does it now feel like the right time for a change-up?”

But as Cummins noted, the bowlers also let South Africa rally from 6-110 to finish at 425 in the first innings, though the absence for a period of an unwell Josh Hazlewood was a factor in that.

Marnus Labuschagne, Beau Webster and Nic Maddinson are clearly under pressure, while the Aussies need to figure out whether to bring Nathan Lyon back into the team. But if that is the case, who will he replace?

Scott Boland bowled brilliantly and batted with distinction in a superb performance, which surely secured his spot for the Cape Town decider.

“It’s (about) what do we look like at our best? We’re still finding ways to win,” he said.

“I think we make it hard for ourselves sometimes. But we’ve got three or four days to get it right for Cape Town. There’ll be lots of conversations.

“We will probably run through a few scenarios that we’ll probably get in Cape Town again and what we would do differently? The good thing is most of our team is pretty experienced. “We’ve done it in the past, but they’re not seeing it as often as we’d like at the moment.”

Labuschagne appears on particularly shaky ground. His dismissal in the second innings doing the veteran no favours.

The No.3 has gone more than three years and 47 innings without a century, but he has passed 30 in three of his four innings here, which is something his superstar mate Smith is yet to manage once.

With Inglis largely unproven at Test level, and coming off a finger injury, there is no clear standout replacement for Labuschagne waiting in the wings among the tourists. And Cummins noted he is “hitting the ball well”.

“I think that I said this earlier, but I think the hardest thing about opening or batting at three is actually getting yourself in,” Cummins said.

“The balls are normally doing a fair bit. You got fresh bowlers and he’s actually doing the hard bit (by) getting to 30s. I think he’s got to find a way to turn those into bigger scores (because) 30s aren’t going to win you too many matches.”

Cummins, meanwhile, also addressed the dilemma over the make-up of his bowling unit for the third Test.

Boland replaced Lyon and starred for the tourists.

“It’s a good question. I don’t think you can do much more,” Cummins said.

“I mean, five-for, pick of the bowlers. You know how gritty he was with this batting innings. “Even put his hand up on day three to go and be nightwatchman after he just bowled 20 overs in a day.

“I couldn’t love that bloke any more. He’s such a champion. So again, we’ll get to Cape Town. We’ll have a look, see how everyone pulls up, all those things. But he had a fantastic week.”

As he looks to lift his side for the decider, Cummins, could do worse than point his team to the example set by South Africa, which was beaten by 214 runs in Durban in the series opener but rebounded in magnificent fashion at St George’s Park.

Captain Temba Bavuma threw himself into the nets, batting at length in the days leading into the Gqeberha Test before delivering a masterful 179 that could well prove to be the pivotal innings in the series.

“You definitely have many conversations,” Bavuma said of what a captain goes through after a loss.

“I think, obviously, when you front up to the media, you try to keep a steely face. But when you’re there alone in your room, you can’t kind of lie to yourself.

“So I mean you do the whole thing. You analyse your batting innings. You look at it from a technical point of view (and) see if there’s anything that sticks out, but I think from a mental point of view, you kind of tune yourself into making sure that you’re ready for battle.

“You have to go out to compete, and if the opportunity is there, you want to make the play for the team. So, I guess, for me it was a lot of that from a mental point of view.

“I spent the time in the nets as well to kind of try to find something, some sort of a rhythm or feeling that I was confident that I could go into the game with.”