Australia faces do-or-die Test after batting collapse in South Africa
Australia must fix chronic batting struggles in Tuesday's deciding Test after being bowled out for 99 in the second match.
Australia's batters have a clear problem heading into the third and deciding Test in Cape Town: they cannot turn starts into runs. The tourists were bowled out for 99 last week in an innings-and-31-run defeat.
In their past 23 innings, Australia have been 4-95 or worse in 13 of them. Alex Carey acknowledged the pattern, saying the batting group needs to convert early momentum into bigger scores.
Marnus Labuschagne is under particular scrutiny, with six of his past nine scores between 30 and 49 runs. Cameron Green is expected to return from the side after Nic Maddinson's drop, while Australia have managed only one instance of two batters scoring centuries together in the past four months.
- 99 runs
- Bowled out for
- Innings and 31 runs
- Loss margin
- 6 of past 9 between 30-49
- Labuschagne recent scores
- Cape Town
- Test location
Why it mattersA defeat ends the Test series and raises serious questions about Australia's Test batting depth.
AustraliaAustralian cricket fans will watch their team battle for survival, with the entire series depending on next week's Test.
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