‘We’ve got to get a hell of a lot better’: South Africa warned after first Test defeat to Australia

South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder (right) leaves the field after his dismissal on day five of the first cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, in Durban, South Africa, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo) South Africa coach Shukri Conrad ruled out making drastic changes after his team’s 214-run defeat to Australia in the first Test at Kingsmead, but said his players must improve if they are to challenge for the three-match series.South Africa, who defeated Australia in last year’s World Test Championship final in London, suffered defeat on Tuesday. Conrad said the result didn’t mean the team had to question everything it did well, but admitted there was room for improvement.“We’ve just lost a Test cricket match. It doesn’t mean you have to go soul-searching now and question all the things we’ve done really well and we’re doing really well. We’ve just got to get bloody better,” he told reporters on Wednesday.“Obviously we have to look at how we can improve the side without being jerky and panicky in our decisions. We have to show calmness.”“The question is always, will the ship go faster if we make changes, or will it slow the ship down?” he asked.Conrad hinted that some changes could still be made, with fast bowler Kagiso Rabada close to returning from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since June. Changes in the batting order are also possible.“We keep talking about the bat because that’s where we felt we let down the most,” he said.Conrad said South Africa needed to assess the reasons for their dismissal, which he classified into three categories: technical, tactical and mental. He felt that the mental aspect played a major role in the team’s batting struggles.“Batting dismissals sit in one of three places. They’re technical, tactical or mental. If we’re brutally honest, a lot of our dismissals have been sitting in the mental corner. Is that an easier solution than technical and tactical? Probably not. So we’ve got to see our guys come in fresh enough.”South Africa showed some resistance on the final day as they tried to save the Test by defending against Australia’s attack. However, after hanging on for nearly two hours, they lost wickets in quick succession and were bowled out for 206 in their second innings. Aiden Markram was the only South African batsman to score more than 50 in the match.The defeat ended South Africa’s run of 15 Tests without a loss. They will be looking to level the series in the second Test starting at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday.