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Cummins Admits Changes Coming as Australia Loses Test, Series and No.1 Ranking in Cape Town Horror Show
Simon Harmer took 6 wickets as Australia collapsed to 111, and Pat Cummins said changes may be needed after the series loss.
On Saturday, South Africa clinched the three-match Test series 2-1 after defeating Australia by 176 runs at Newlands, bowling the visitors out for 111 and dropping them to third in the World Test Championship standings.
Australia captain Pat Cummins defended his decision to bowl first at Newlands, though the tactic backfired as South Africa raced to 140 without loss early before posting 329 on a wearing surface.
Marnus Labuschagne faces mounting selection scrutiny after scoring just 131 runs across six innings, while Proteas off-spinner Simon Harmer dismantled Australia's lower order with career-best match figures of 10-120.
Admitting that "maybe it's change of personnel" is necessary, Cummins said the team must improve to regain their No. 1 position, vowing to evaluate the squad internally over coming weeks.
Australia faces a quick turnaround before hosting New Zealand for their next Test assignment beginning December 9 in Perth, with the Kiwi side poised to capitalize on the hosts' recent struggles.
South Africa suffered a humiliating defeat against Australia. This loss also resulted in Australia losing the series under Pat Cummins' captaincy. Following the series loss, Cummins spoke openly about the poor performance of the batsmen.