South Africa vs Australia 1st Test 2014

South Africa have just been thrashed by Australia.

The Australian side featured six specialist batsmen, a wicketkeeper batsmen, and four specialists.

The South African side featured a wicketkeeper who averages over 50 in tests, a bowling all rounder in McLaren, and a spinner who is a useful batter in Peterson (I can't really classify Peterson has an all rounder - he averages 25 with the bat and 32 with the ball at FC level).

I think they've used allrounder maths - five batsmen plus a batsman keeper plus a bowling all rounder and useful batting spinner and three fast bowlers equals more than six specialists, a keeper and four specialists.

The all rounder lobby will no doubt argue that "well Australia had Mitchell Johnson and South Africa don't have Mitchell Johnson so they need the extra bowling option, you know in case one of them gets injured".

But South Africa have Steyn, Morkel and Philander, who are all awesome.

What they don't have is a decent spinner so instead they've got a spinner who can at least bat a bit and another bowling option in McLaren who can at least bat a bit.

They've tied themselves up in a bit of a selection puzzle. How do you judge McLaren's performance? All he's required to do is score a couple of runs and take a couple of wickets. Ditto Peterson.

It's going to be very stressful for the Saffas. It was easier with Kallis because his spot in the side was justified by his batting alone - the bowling was this glorious extra option.

They don't have Kallis anymore. Which on one hand will give them an excuse for every test they lose from now on - "oh we don't have Kallis, balance, balance" - but also means they are going to wrap their heads in knots as they figure out how to replace him.

Jarrod Kimber, a cricket writer who is not a member of the pro-all rounder lobby, wrote this earlier today:

South Africa love allrounders. They love them more than any other country, and they provide more than any other country. And they lost a king. 

But they couldn't replace him with a king. Sure they could have tried someone like Obus Pinaar, to see if he was the next chosen one (a double century in first-class cricket and a bowling average of 24.16 bowling left-arm quick). But they didn't take the chance with him. 

Instead they replaced Kallis with two allrounders: McLaren at No. 7, Robin Peterson at No. 8. Two players who have done all they can to get the most out of themselves, who can provide in many different ways. But they aren't proper Test allrounders. Peterson is not strong enough to bat at seven consistently and in 15 Tests he has taken 38 wickets at 37.26. McLaren has only three first-class three hundreds from 100 matches. He has bowling talent, but he is not in the best five seam bowlers in South Africa.

They are both bandaids over the open Kallis wound. Carrying a partially covered wound is not the way to play Mitchell Johnson.

You know what South Africa should do? Pick six specialist batsman, make de Villiers one of them, choose a specialist keeper who is handy with the bat and a good team man, and pick four specialist bowlers.

It is the simplest, easiest way - you don't have to resort to tricky formulas and equations.

But when you've been brought up on the exploits of Kallis, Tony Greig, Shaun Pollock, Clive Rice, Trevor Goddard, Tiger Barlow, Mike Procter, Brian McMillan and Lance Klusener, the all rounder addiction is a hard one to shake.