This was Australia’s worst day under Cummins. Thirteen wickets made all kinds of bad history

October 22, 2026 — 4:00am

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Gqeberha: Before play on day four, Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald assembled the tourists for a rare collective address in the nets outside St George’s Park.

This was a rare event for a team that has long cut back on meetings. The message was along the lines that Australia, despite a rough day three, were still ahead in the series, with the strong incentive to keep it that way over the next couple of days.

It certainly wasn’t to get bowled out for double figures, then lose more wickets to be 4-156 and still trailing by 170 overall with 98 overs still to play.

Whatever McDonald’s words, what followed was a display that ranks highly among the worst of the contemporary era for the Australian Test team. There has not been a worse one since Pat Cummins became captain in 2021.

By being razed for 99 by a South African side that went a bowler down after the fall of the third wicket, Australia were forced to follow on for just the third time since 1988. South Africa had not enjoyed such luxury against Australia since the 1969-70 tour, the last time these sides met before the end of Apartheid.

A tally of 13 wickets lost in a single day is the most by the Australian side since they also lost 13........

© Brisbane Times