Front foot no ball costs Temba Bavuma a wicket off his first ball in international cricket

Usman Khwaja was batting on 84 when Temba Bavuma’s skidder struck his leg.

The Australians are currently sweating it out at WACA to save the first of the three-match Test series against the South Africans. Steven Smith and his men started off their second innings needing 539 runs to win and the Aussie batsmen, who got off to a good start, failed to capitalize as wickets kept tumbling. Kagiso Rabada was the chief destructor as the fiery bowler took five wickets before lunch on the fifth day. However, it was Temba Bavumba's first over of his Test career that caught everyone by surprise.

Bavuma could have been the 22nd player in the history of the game to seize a first ball wicket in Test match cricket. His skidder, expectedly, kept low and Usman Khawaja was struck in the leg right in front of the wicket. However, he was denied for a wicket by a front foot no ball.  

Bavuma was introduced to the attack in the 74th over by Faf du Plessis in order to try and break the partnership that was slowly yet steadily building between Khawaja and Peter Nevill. Khawaja was batting on 84 when Bavuma surprised him with a ball that kept relatively low and skidded off the pitch.  It was the first ball of his Test career and he could have easily got his first wicket too if not for his front foot no ball.

The right-armer finally got his first wicket in his fifth over, just before the tea, when Josh Hazlewood mistimed a slower delivery which lobbed into the air towards short cover which was easily caught by Dean Elgar.

You can watch the video here.

Earlier in the second innings Bavuma produced a stunning acrobatic effort to run-out David Warner. The left-hand batsman received a short-ball from Rabada during the 13th over of first innings which he  played with soft hands to drop the ball towards short cover.

Bavuma who was stationed at point cut the angle, raced at the ball, picked it up one-handed and then threw the ball which resulted in a direct hit. Warner, who seemed to be pretty confident at the first instance had to walk off after replays showed him just inches short of the crease.

The run-out turned out be the turning point of the fourth day's play as Australia kept losing wickets at regular intervals. While Khawaja seemed to be guarding one end of the wicket, the South African bowlers ran through the Aussie line-up. They ended up at 263 for the loss of seven wickets at the end of second session on day five of the first Test.