Australia conceed more records

What a completely flawless run chase by the South Africans! As much as it pains me to say it, that was a completely dominating, well planned and perfectly executed dismantling of Australia in the fourth innings of the first Test.

If you had to script a run chase for a first test, that not only won you the Test but exorcised every demon your country had with regards to mind games, close finishes, defeats snatched from the jaws of victory and failed captains performances - that was it! 

The last day and half was pretty much chanceless. Smith, the powerful leader of his country and a captain who has struggled against Australia both with the bat and tactically, led from the front. Injured elbow and all, he produced a solid performance to set things up, then de Villiers was class. Played through the really tough spell at the end of the fourth day then just set his mind to "being there at the end". You didn't have to be a mind reader to see what was motivating him. There was no way he was ever going to give any fellow batsmen even the chance to replicate that first innings collapse. He was going to be there when South Africa hit 414 - nothing was going to stop him, and nothing did. Not only did they win the Test, but they make a big statement for the remaining two tests in this series. It is now the Aussies who have to battle with some mental scars - dare I say it, mental disintegration.

So now, Australia maintain a lead in world rankings, courtesy of a Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist legacy that sees their points still articially high - but that looks like eroding fairly quickly. With three losses in their last 4 Tests and Johnson aside, a fairly non-menacing bowling attack, things look grim. You'd have to say that both South Africa and India have shown up Australia's lack of bowling flare in recent times, and both these sides have always looked far more likely to take the 20 wickets required, than have their Australian opponents.

So where to now - Hayden, would have to be under the pump surely, but really, only if there is a logical replacement. Do we blood a new opener now? Do we wait until 2009 and risk that, in an Ashes tour, or do we just barrel on, expecting something to change because it always has?

To be honest, I think, while Kattich is in pretty good form - it might be time to make a bit of a statement. Hayden loves Melbourne though!  Maybe the Boxing Day test could be the last of his last chances!

And Ricky Ponting?  Could he become the first captain in 100 years to relinquish the Ashes twice!? (As best I can tell, the Ashes have only been "taken off an Australian captain more than once, twice in history - Monty Noble 1909 and before that, Billy Murdoch who in 1884 handed them back to  England three times in his stint!)