There was a time when an Australian Test team could impose itself before the first ball had even been bowled. Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting led batting orders stacked with authority, while Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Shane Warne ensured opponents were rarely afforded respite.
Allan Donald knew that version of Australia well. During his career with South Africa, he encountered a side that combined technical excellence with an almost competitive edge. The Australia preapaing to tour South Africa now travel with a very different conversation around them.
Their recent home series against Bangladesh exposed vulnerabilities that have become increasingly difficult to ignore. A shock nine-wicket defeat in Darwin intensified scrutiny on a batting order struggling for consistency, even though Australia recovered emphatically to win the second Test to win by an innings and 51 runs and square the series 1-1.
For Donald, the contrast between the Australian teams of his era and the present side is significant. “It’s the change of the guard in Australia. Yes, in the early 2000s, they were a menace. They were a really tough side to play against, and it was really a self-sustaining team,” Donald told SportsBoom in an exclusive interview. “Warne, McGrath, Gillespie, Lee, oh my goodness, and then they had a batting line-up to die for. It was a team handed by Steve Waugh to Ricky Ponting and, don’t forget Shane Warne in there too. But it’s changed.”
Donald believes the clearest difference lies in Australia’s batting. The Darwin defeat offered Bangladesh a famous result, but it also revived familiar questions for Australia. They were bowled out for 198 in the first innings before Bangladesh amassed 426, leaving the hosts chasing the game almost immediately.
{{/usCountry}}Donald believes the clearest difference lies in Australia’s batting. The Darwin defeat offered Bangladesh a famous result, but it also revived familiar questions for Australia. They were bowled out for 198 in the first innings before Bangladesh amassed 426, leaving the hosts chasing the game almost immediately.
{{/usCountry}}Although the response in Mackay was emphatic, Donald believes one dominant victory has not erased the broader concern. “It’s changed, and there’s a lot of people in Australia that are all of a sudden frustrated, and they got absolutely pumped by Bangladesh, and it was good to see from a Bangladeshi point of view how well they can play when they put their minds to it. But look, I just think it’s long tail. It’s a batting line-up that’s struggling.”
The problem, in Donald’s view, also places greater strain on Australia’s bowlers. When the batting group fails to occupy the crease or construct substantial totals, the attack is repeatedly asked to rescue matches. “It’s struggling for batting form; there’s already that thing about bowlers versus batters coming out. The batters just can’t give the bowlers enough chance to recover. So, it’s a great worry for them right now. They really are in trouble when it comes to performances now.”
Donald still wary of Australia’s pace attack
For all his concerns, Donald is not writing Australia off. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood remain the side’s greatest source of reassurance, particularly heading into South African conditions that have traditionally rewarded high-quality fast bowling.
Donald expects that pedigree to sustain Australia’s confidence despite their recent struggles. “They’ll keep saying that they’re Australian and they’ll bounce back and stuff like that, and I look forward to the series. There’s a lot of places you can point out that (will be key for them), especially the quality of bowling attack,” Donald said. “Let’s just say that it’s a quality bowling attack. Those three, Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, they are just three of the best in the world. So, I look forward to the Test Series. But I think there are challenges ahead for Australia.”
The tour also carries considerable historical weight. Australia’s previous Test visit to South Africa in 2018 became inseparable from the ball-tampering scandal involving Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, with the Proteas eventually winning the series 3-1. Eight years later, Australia return with a different concern. Their bowling remains formidable, but the batting no longer carries the same certainty. For Donald, that is where the aura has faded. Australia begin their three-Test series against South Africa in Durban on October 9, before the contest moves to Gqeberha in Cape Town.