Cricket: Australia destroy South Africa in Boxing Day test

Australian players celebrate after they defeated South Africa by an innings and 182 runs. Photo / AP

Australia should start planning for an extra test when they head to England next year after emphatically ending a run of three straight home series losses to South Africa with a big victory at the MCG today.

Already the No 1-ranked nation in the world, a trip to the World Test Championship final at The Oval before next year’s Ashes campaign to cement that status is now a near certainty after demolishing a Proteas batting outfit which again showed itself to be severely lacking in the face of the best bowling attack in cricket.

Even without first innings star Cameron Green, Australia had three wickets from Nathan Lyon after a shoulder scare, a ferocious Mitchell Starc bowling rockets with an injured finger needing six weeks to repair, two more scalps to hometown hero Scott Boland and two calamitous run outs, which helped secure a first home series win against the Proteas for more than 15 years.

Before this encounter, the Aussies had won just two of the past nine home tests against South Africa.

But captain Pat Cummins’ men showed a gulf in class and skill in Brisbane, then rammed home their advantage in Melbourne on the back of a resurgence from David Warner, Green’s golden arm and relentless intensity in the field which has become the hallmark of the fledgling skipper’s reign.

South Africa were all out for 204 before tea on day four, with Steve Smith taking the final wicket. Although finally passing 200 for the first time in eight test innings, their combined total of 393 at the MCG was 182 short of Australia’s monstrous single effort.

Australia will push for a clean sweep in Sydney with changes coming to replace Green and Starc, who bowled 18 second innings overs despite his finger being broken, bruised and bloodied, an effort which typified the want for the Australians to show the battling visitors no mercy.

After refusing a painkilling injection, so as not to lose the feeling in his middle finger crucial to his bowling, Starc wore a protective sleeve while fielding but took it off to bowl.

“It’s not the prettiest thing but it was good enough for this test match, especially with Greeny going down. His [finger] is a bit worse than mine, but I think he will come back quicker than me,” he said post-match.

“It is a test match and I didn’t want to leave the boys a man down, so it was nice to get through, contribute and play a role.

“I wasn’t overly sure what I could do, there was a bit of planning in the nets to see what was capable. That first over of the second innings, Patty was at mid-off and came over and said ‘that went a bit better than I expected’ and I think that was two of us.”

Starc will have a scan in Sydney to determine the extent of his injury and recovery plan as he turns his attention to the Indian tour in February and March.