Mitchell Starc spearheaded Australia’s recovery with an impressive haul of six wickets restricting South Africa to 329 on Day 1 of the series deciding third Test at Newlands on Tuesday.
The home side had built a solid platform at 158 without losing a wicket but a slump in the middle order followed by Mitchell Starc’s devastating spell derailed their innings.
Who established South Africa’s dominant opening stand?
Marques Ackerman produced his finest Test innings, hitting 95 from 94 deliveries while Aiden Markram contributed 78 to establish a dominant opening stand and put Australia’s new-ball attack under pressure. With clear skies overhead, the duo took South Africa to 140 without losing a wicket by the lunch break leaving Australia skipper Pat Cummins to question his call to field first.
How did the openers put Australia’s bowlers under pressure before lunch?
Marques Ackerman took the attack to Mitchell Starc smashing four boundaries in a row before the lunch break. Markram also batted with confidence compounding Australia’s problems when Travis Head put down a catch offered by the opener on 39.
How did Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood break the opening partnership?
Australia finally made inroads after the lunch interval when Ackerman advanced down the pitch to attack Nathan Lyon but was beaten and stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey for 95 narrowly missing out on his first Test hundred. Aiden Markram soon departed on 78 after failing to connect properly with a pull against Josh Hazlewood with Mitchell Starc completing the catch at long leg.
How did Australia trigger South Africa’s middle-order collapse?
South Africa’s batting woes deepened when Nathan Lyon dismissed skipper Temba Bavuma for a scoreless outing. Cooper Connolly then celebrated his first Test scalp by removing Matthew Breetzke for two with the batter given out lbw following a successful review by Australia.
How did Australia’s short-ball tactic pay off after tea?
Australia’s strategy of targeting the batters with short-pitched deliveries yielded results after tea. David Bedingham who had reached his half-century, mistimed a pull and sent a top edge towards Hazlewood near the fine-leg rope. Just three deliveries later Wiaan Mulder fended off another bouncer with his glove allowing wicketkeeper Alex Carey to complete the catch.
How drastically did South Africa’s innings collapse after their strong start?
Those quick dismissals reduced South Africa to 187/5, marking a loss of five wickets for just 29 runs after a strong start from the openers. The home side desperately needed a recovery stand and Marco Jansen joined Ryan Rickelton to steady the innings.
Who led South Africa’s lower-order recovery past 300?
The duo put together a valuable 95-run partnership for the seventh wicket helping South Africa cross the 300-run mark. Jansen continued his impressive run by recording his second consecutive Test fifty having scored 85 in Gqeberha while Rickelton contributed 42 to the total.
How did Mitchell Starc wrap up the innings with the new ball?
However, Australia regained control with the arrival of the second new ball. Starc dismissed Jansen and Rickelton in the same over with full-length deliveries before knocking over Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada to bring the innings to a close before stumps. The left-arm quick ended the day with figures of 6/72 from 16.3 overs while Nathan Lyon claimed two wickets for 71 runs.
What did Mitchell Starc say about the pitch conditions?
‘We probably expected more out of the wicket. It was not our best start and South Africa took advantage,’ Starc said after play.
How did Australia adapt their strategy after lunch?
‘The wicket was quite slow, with a tennis-ball type bounce. We had to reassess at lunch, problem-solve and find a way to be effective. The last two sessions went well for us.’
Why was Australia relieved to bowl South Africa out on Day 1?
Starc admitted Australia had feared spending much longer in the field. ‘At one point, we thought we would have to bowl a fair bit tomorrow, so to get them out today is good,’ he said.
What is at stake in the series-deciding third Test?
The three-match contest remains evenly poised at 1-1 with Australia claiming the first Test in Durban by 214 runs before South Africa levelled the series with an innings and 31 runs triumph in Gqeberha. The Cape Town showdown will determine both the series winner and the team that takes the top position in the Test rankings from Australia. The visitors will start their batting innings on Wednesday with Mitchell Starc’s late flurry of wickets having put them in a strong position to gain the upper hand in the decisive encounter.