South Africa vs Australia 2018: 4th Test, Day 1, 5 Talking Points
After a week where controversies were the talk of the town, the focus shifted back to cricket with South Africa leading the series 2-1. Australia were shattered and looked clueless in the second innings (day 4) of the third Test. With Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft sent home, Tim Paine became Australia’s 46th Test captain.
Winning the toss and batting first, South Africa got off to a solid start as Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram put on 53 runs for the first wicket. South Africa’s first three wickets added 247 runs before Pat Cummins and Chadd Sayers took 4 wickets in the final session to restore some sort of parity.
However, the day belonged to Markram who scored his 4th Test century and registered his career-best score. AB de Villiers gave a good account of himself as well with a fighting 69. South Africa ended the day at 313/6 with Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma at the crease.
#5 A steady, solid start for South Africa
On a pitch that was a lot browner than the one used against India, South Africa had no hesitation in batting first. In the pitch report, Shaun Pollock had said: “a lot of grass was left on it (against India), but they've given it a haircut.”
South Africa got off the mark in style. Hazlewood, bowling the first over in the absence of Mitchell Starc who suffered a tibial bone stress in his right leg, bowled a leg-stump half-volley which Dean Elgar sent away to the boundary.
For the next hour or so, the duo of Markram and Elgar played out the Australian bowlers with little difficulty. There were a few plays and misses, but the opening pair looked solid. All the three pacers (Hazlewood, debutant Sayers and Pat Cummins) were blunted.
However, Nathan Lyon’s introduction changed things. Elgar struggled against the off-spinner and was dismissed trying to take him on. The left-handed opener was dismissed for 19 but it was a solid 53-run opening stand that got South Africa off to a good start.