Kagiso Rabada has explained the frustration of South Africa's bowlers at regularly having to defend puny scores after the Proteas sunk to a calendar year low they have not experienced in 65 years.
The second innings total of 99 in the first Test at the Gabba marked the second time South Africa had been bowled out for less than 100 in 2022, having made 95 in their first innings of the series against New Zealand in Christchurch in February.
The last time they were all out for less than 100 twice in the same calendar year was in 1957.
South Africa have now failed to reach 200 in its past six completed Test innings.
The last time pace spearhead Rabada toured Australia in 2016/17, in a 2-1 series win, the Proteas' top six included Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis, who made 44 Test hundreds between them.
Rabada said that in contrast, the tourists' current batting line-up was "quite inexperienced". Only captain Dean Elgar, who has 4976 runs in 80 Tests and 13 centuries, averages more than 35 in Tests.
The batters' collective failure at the Gabba put more pressure on the bowlers, who have already been carrying the side in recent times.
"It can get frustrating, and when I say frustrating I don't mean to single out the batters," Rabada said after his team's six-wicket loss in Brisbane inside two days.
"I mean that it is frustrating as a team. You almost have to understand that sometimes this is what happens in a rebuilding phase.
"Although we have played (previously) in a team with a star-studded line-up where you are literally playing with greats of the game, I don't think that happens quite frequently.
"Now the situation we are faced with, a whole lot of players have come in who have the ability but need to get used to the international circuit.
"There needs to be an element of patience and understanding, but at the same time, you can't be advocating for bad performances."
Rabada took eight wickets for the match at the Gabba, including a superb 4-13 spell in the second innings that Elgar said should encourage the batters to also fire in the second Test at the MCG from Boxing Day.
"Hopefully that can inspire our batting unit to get their heads right, knuckle down and get some performances under their belt for us come the next game," Elgar said.
