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None of them go right back and across,that is to say, actually physically moving one's body across the crease. Batting properly, in short, is hard work. Coaches must stress this more with players-- i never masterred the front foot cover drive. AD Cook and SR Waugh, as we know, both largely avoided the shot, although together making many test runs; both would have batted better on that pitch.

AR I cant believe how poor some of the batsmens footwork is these days....just look at Warner who at times looks like he is stuck in concrete at the crease with his wild wooshes outside off stump invariably catching the edge behind or him playing on.
You only have to watch 2 minutes of the T20 stuff to realise where all this poor batsmanship is coming from!

As for the Melbourne Test you would think they would go in with the same side as Brisbane and give Hazlewood more time to over come his side issue, but seriously who would know with George and his mates Pat & Ronald these days???!!!

BH: bang on mate: in relation to the  team, none of the batsmen would make it ahead of the 1980 side which played NZ, Smithy would be twelfth man. On the field i will remember  Warner for carrying his bat and being Broad's bunny.

Great series win for the Australians. Courageous efforts by Warner, Starc and Green to contribute so much when they were incapacitated. Carey has now booked his place in the side for a fair while as well.
Having said that how ordinary was this South African team?  Probably the worst group to come to these shores since reunification. Only Nortje, Verennye and perhaps Jansen emerged from the series with any credit. When you think how well previous teams with guys like Graham Smith, Kallis, Steyn, Pollock, Amla, De Villiers, Ntini, Morkel etc etc,have played,  it makes for a very stark comparison with this group.
Will be interesting to see who replaces Starc and Green in the Sydney test. A lot depends on whether they are looking at bringing in 2 specialist spinners. I am secretly hoping that Lance Morris gets a debut which would put some interest into a dead rubber.

Yes, real concern about the standard of South African cricket and how poor they are - I read somewhere on the weekend they play 7 first class games per season - no wonder the standard is so poor.
It's probably more concerning that someone like Graham Smith who is in charge of SA cricket says they only pick 5 batters a keeper and 5 bowlers because they have no one else who can bat at 6 - Really. And this spinner is the worst spinner I have seen tour Australia in a long time, he doesn't even thru the ball, nor does he get any bounce.....

It has been a real poor summer for touring sides this summer and im not confident Pakistan and the West Indies next summer will be any better

I am however looking forward to the away series in India and the UK

South Africa has to go back to British traditions in cricket it can be done even if the side is more diverse then in the past; only pick pro- Commonwealth players. The yarpies should have a see South's club rooms as a hint.,

One of the biggest issues for SA's Test side over the last decade has been the early retirement from Test Cricket of many of their gun players especially their batsmen to play T20 full time- DeVilliers, DuPlessis, Miller, DeKock, Rossouw, Parnell, Morkel etc and or to play full time County Cricket in England under the Kolpak Rule- Prince, Ingram, Van Zyl, Wiese, Abbott, Olivier, Harmer (now back in SA full time) etc.
Then of course there has been the plethora of SA boys plying their trade for other countries due to leaving SA for whatever reason of late-
Labuschagne, Neser (AUS)
Wagner, Phillips, Watling, Elliott, Munro, Conway, DeGrandhomme (NZ)
Pieterson, Strauss, Trott, Prior, Roy, Jennings, S & T Curran, Compton etc (ENG)

For all that they still have good fast bowling depth but gee their batsmen have fallen off a cliff......I still cant believe Aiden Markram didnt tour here as he has played well against us previously and would appreciate our pitches to bat on?
 

BH thoes players have been forced to move into T20.With RSA Black/White roster.

BH: thanks you illustrated my point beautifully-- they won't play the English and some of the Afrikaners can't be botherred; worse, they have poor cricket judgement these days. Why was KP batting at number eight for Natal?

That's a lot of quality outs BH.....but as you say their bowling still looks strong....one would think if Markram can find his mojo, Petersen is fit and young Brevis steps up, that instantly makes SA batting lineup look a tad stronger, plus the keeper  looks like a decent bat and Jansen will only get better with more exposure, but looks more a bowling allrounder TBH.....not sold on Bavuma, Elgar, Zonda or Sarwee.....though Zonda is only young.

Would love to see Morris get a game in Sydney, be pretty samey if Aust go with Cummins, Hazlewood and Boland as the quicks.....cant see Agar getting a gig....especially since Head, Labuschagne amd Smith can send down a few overs between them....does Renshaw open and Uzzie come in at 6.....kind of where the 2nd new ball comes in.....