A terrible mix-up between Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj saw the South African spinner run out on yet another bad day with the bat for the visitors.
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On day four at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, South Africa were bowled out for 204 as the hosts wrapped up a comprehensive victory by an innings and 182 runs.
A silver lining for the visitors was that it was the first time in eight innings that they had reached 200 but it was little consolation on a day where they had themselves to blame for their dismissals as much as the opposition.
The worst moment was without doubt the wicket of Maharaj, who was caught halfway down the wicket as he had set off for a third before being belatedly sent back by Bavuma.
The ball had been thrown in from the boundary to the non-striker’s end, where it was collected by Mitchell Starc. With Bavuma safely inside his crease, Starc threw down the stumps at the other end as Maharaj scampered back.
It was the second run out that Bavuma had been involved in, after he had called through his teammate Khaya Zondo for a non-existent single.
Watch: South Africa’s day goes from bad to worse
🗣️ "This really is schoolboy stuff…"
🗣️ "That's not desperate enough…"
🗣️ "He's absolutely BBQ'd his mate."
– Ricky Ponting on Keshav Maharaj's run out #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/NyttMfKflf
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 29, 2022
