The worst Australian side in 25 years

The embarrassing loss means Australia have won just two of their past 12 Tests. That dreadful sequence is the most miserable since Border's battlers went 14 Tests in a row without a victory from November 1985 to January 1987. At least that struggling side had some valid excuses. The game in Australia was still healing following Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket schism of the late 1970s and had been gutted by rebel South African tours of the mid-80s.

For a long time, Ponting has been a tremendous player who intimidates opponents. However, the expected rejuvenation resulting from relinquishing the captaincy and moving down the order hasn't eventuated. It's starting to look like Ponting's is a terminal decline rather than just a slump.

Clarke's brilliant hundred at Newlands has established his credentials as a tactically proficient captain who can lead and score runs. There's less reason now to retain Ponting and the selectors may decide - as the American baseball manager once said to his departing star player: "We lost with you, we can sure as hell lose without you."

Assuming Ryan Harris is fit, and he looked sore at the end of the Test, the only other doubt concerns Mitchell Johnson, the most frustrating cricketer in the country. Johnson bowled without pace or swing at Newlands and batsmen have rumbled him. Not until a few runs were required for victory did he attain full speed, 145.8 km/h, or take a wicket as Hashim Amla drove loosely.

This match was played by cricketers whose attention span has been compromised by the emphasis on the comic book form of the game. What other conclusion is to be drawn after Michael Clarke's and Graeme Smith's innings provided such weighty bookends to this procession of self-destruction?