Blame players, not the selectors says Ponting

Former captain Ricky Ponting has put the blame squarely on the Australia players in the wake of another "very, very poor batting performance" that led to a heavy second Test defeat.

South Africa secured victory in the three-Test series with a comprehensive win by an innings and 80 runs in Hobart as Australia lost 8-32 on the fourth morning.

Australia has now lost five consecutive Test matches following their 3-0 defeat in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Coach Darren Lehmann, captain Steve Smith and the national selection panel have all had their positions scrutinised, but Ponting said the players "are just not delivering".

"The Aussie batters, they just didn’t know where to go, what to do," Ponting said on BT Sport.

"They got very defensive minded and when they do that – it’s been shown through this Test series – their techniques aren’t good enough to stand up.

"That’s a very, very poor batting performance again.

"Are they lacking confidence because of some of the selections and things that have happened? Maybe.

"But when you're out there in the heat of the battle, that's all gone. You've got to find a way to play the game.

"Everyone is talking about South Africa and how much of a together group they look. It's an interesting word. It's easy to look that way when you're playing the way they've played.

"It's easy to look dishevelled and unorganised when you're playing poorly.

"It comes down to the individual in that side, when you're confronted with a task for your team is you get out there and do it. It's as simple as that."

Ponting, who led Australia 77 times during his decorated career, pointed to a lack of resilience in the group.

Australia lost 8-32 on the fourth morning and were rolled for 161 in the second innings after making a paltry 85 in the first dig.

Those efforts followed a catastrophic collapse in the first Test in Perth, when Australia slipped from 0-158 to be bowled out for 242 in the first innings, losing all 10 wickets for 86 runs to hand the momentum to the Proteas.

"The great teams that I played in, we got ourselves in as much trouble as any other team," Ponting said.

"We'd be 2-0 or 2-10, but someone would go out there and say, 'Right, I've had enough of this. I'm going to change the way this game is going to get the job done for my team'."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Australia's selectors must be "brave" and said the team had hit "rock bottom".

Vaughan, who led England 51 times in Test matches, questioned the selections of 37-year-old Adam Voges and 31-year-old debutant Callum Ferguson, who replaced allrounder Mitch Marsh in the XI.

Voges contributed 0 and 2, while Ferguson returned 3 and 1, with Vaughan encouraging selectors to take a punt on some young talent.

"There a number of them, clearly, that aren't quite up to Test match standard," Vaughan said.

"I think the Australian selectors will have to be brave.

"They might have to pick two or three younger players that possibly aren't ready, but they'll have to brave in picking them to give them a chance to build into a unit.

"Don't pick all youngsters, but it clearly needs freshening up.

"Maybe they need to go backwards before they can go forwards. Clearly they've gone a long way backwards in this Test match.

"They might need some more hurt with a few younger players and just try and build a team that way."

Ferguson, Voges and wicketkeeper-batsman Peter Nevill succumbed to short-pitched deliveries on day four, drawing criticism from the former top-order batsman.

"I've never seen an Australian batting unit look so fragile against the short ball," Vaughan said.

"Yeah, the odd ball kept a bit low. Callum Ferguson could say he was a little bit unfortunate, but I think that's when you look at a team and the mindset of a batting unit.

"Realistically, that tells us a lot about the Australian side. They are trying to survive – they're not looking at the ball to try and score.

"I've never seen an Australian side play to this level."

Former England spinner Graeme Swann said the fact South Africa had won their last three series against Australia away from home was "remarkable".

Australia will be aiming to avoid a whitewash when the third Test in Adelaide starts on November 24.

"It's the hardest place I've played at to go and win and you've still got Adelaide to come, of course, which is a day-night Test match, and you'd think that would suit the seam bowlers," Swann said.

"South Africa's seam bowlers have been all over the Aussies in this series. That was a capitulation. I didn't see that coming."

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