Heavyweight showdown, lightweight battle.

It has been more than three years since South Africa last lost two Tests in succession. Prior to this one, the Proteas also hadn't been defeated in a series since August 1998. But they have surrendered each of those proud records today, crushed in less than four days by Australia in the Second Test in Melbourne.

It was suffocating; it was intimidating; and it was pressure by sheer presence as Australia used the platform of a 210-run first innings lead to sweep to a nine wicket triumph that guaranteed an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.

As in his team's 246-run loss in Adelaide eleven days ago, Jacques Kallis (99) was typically stout of heart and stout of mind as he defied the near-inevitable today. Yet he again found few teammates willing to aid him and was tragically even drawn into running himself out one short of a century in a bid to farm the strike. In plunging to a second innings total of 219, the South Africans were duly a demoralised unit long before Australia's win was completed.

There were wickets for all four of Australia's bowlers, and two run outs, as the home team again combined brilliantly all the while in the field.

Visions of a South African fightback from a near-impossible position overnight - and the dream of staving off an early end to the series - were immediately encouraged as Shaun Pollock (3/84) trapped Glenn McGrath (0) lbw to wrap up the Australian first innings just six balls into the day. But such hopes quickly proved illusory.

Herschelle Gibbs (21) and Gary Kirsten (10) opened the batting in a positive mindset, unafraid to play shots on a true pitch. Yet Kirsten quickly edged a Brett Lee (2/52) outswinger to third slip; Gibbs underedged a cut and was wonderfully caught low and to Adam Gilchrist's left; and the luckless Boeta Dippenaar (23) was out to another stunning catch - this time a reflex effort by Matthew Hayden at short leg as a shot was slammed at his midriff.

Kallis reaffirmed his credentials as one of the world's foremost batsmen with another sophisticated display of defiance and received fleeting help after lunch from Pollock (18) and Neil McKenzie (12).

But, as soon as any kind of protracted fight looked like developing, the Australians struck. McKenzie, neither forward nor back, followed a Shane Warne (3/68) leg break off the pitch; Lance Klusener (7) avoided a king pair but not a straight delivery from McGrath (2/43); Mark Boucher (0) drove a Warne delivery off the edge to slip; and Pollock was needlessly run out from a Kallis push to cover.

Ultimately, no partnership spilled to so much as the half-century mark.

If they had held on until stumps, then the South Africans might have been able to profit from a forecast which shows that grey may replace sunny blue across Melbourne's skyline tomorrow. But not even that could be managed.

Claude Henderson (16) stamped a defiant imprint over the lower order batting again but couldn't avoid being drawn into edging a McGrath leg cutter to second slip. Allan Donald (7) survived a brace of short balls, only to be conquered by a wickedly deceptive yorker from Andy Bichel (1/52). And, then, Kallis - not only running out of time but also doubtlessly patience with his teammates too - elected unwisely to take a second run to deep point that was probably never on offer.

Justin Langer (7) holed out with a cut, but it took Australia's upper order a mere 14 minutes to tidy up the rout.

If this all represented a battle between cricket's two best teams, then it bodes ill about the current state of the game.

It's hard to imagine that the South Africans won't better showcase their considerable skill and talent as a side when another three-match series begins in the Republic in early 2002. But if this is any kind of pointer to the balance of world power at the moment, then the scales are dreadfully lopsided.

For their part, the only sour note at all for the world champion Australians arrived early in the day as their captain, Steve Waugh, was relieved of half of his match payment for a show of dissent yesterday.

In the eyes of others in the world, the Australians' approach and their attitude might not always be politic. But their power remains absolute.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd