Australia coach Darren Lehmann salutes new players after Test win over South Africa
Monday 28 November 2016 09:43, UK
Darren Lehmann has heaped praise on Australia's experimental side after they ended a five-Test losing streak with victory over South Africa.
After being outplayed in the first two Tests, Australia's gamble to ring the changes and play three debutants paid off as they earned a consolation win over the Proteas in the day-night contest in Adelaide.
English-born opener Matt Renshaw scored an unbeaten 34 to help the hosts chase down 127 and win by seven wickets on the fourth day to raise spirits despite losing the series.
"Well, we won," coach Lehmann said, when asked what the difference was compared to the first two Tests, which left Australia on the verge of their first ever home Test series whitewash.
"I'm just pleased for the players. The players have copped a lot over the last few weeks and they've responded really well. Obviously a change of players as well.
"You feel sad for the blokes who missed out in this Test match but the guys who came in did a really good job... a new young group going forward, really pleased for them."
Lehmann said the door wasn't closed for the players who were dropped, but added that he'd like to keep the new group together if possible, with varying playing conditions and peaks and troughs in form.
"You'd love to have continuity all the time [but] in this day and age sometimes that's not possible," Lehmann added.
"But you'd love to keep a group together, a younger group especially with David Warner being our oldest at 30.
"If you can keep the group together for five years or so, or whatever it is - until the older guys go - it makes it easier. But then you've got different conditions and blokes in and out of form. So you just have to sum it up along the way, but yeah it'd be lovely to do that."
Lehmann's coaching role was under the spotlight during the run of defeats, which prompted chairman of selectors Rod Marsh to step down calling for some "fresh thinking".
One key criticism was the decision to rest fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and John Hazlewood for the 5-0 ODI defeat in South Africa, with Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis suggesting it gave his side a mental edge.
In Adelaide, Starc and Hazlewood hit form as they took 12 wickets between them to bowl Australia to victory in the day-night third Test in Adelaide.
Lehmann said there were no plans to rest them for the upcoming, three-match ODI series against New Zealand, although he wasn't sure if they would play every game.
"They will play. We get in trouble if we don't play them," he said. "We gave them a break, didn't we? So they should get through the Australian summer.
"But we got in trouble for that as well. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't."
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