The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
After an action-packed couple of days at the Gabba, with the pitch being the center of attention, we come to the end of the 1st Test. Australia won it rather comfortably in the end, all be it that they lost four wickets to chase 34 down. But the batting from South Africa needs improvement, heading into the next match. How will the pitch be like at the MCG then? That will be on everyone's mind, come the 26th of December. Do join us again for that one, as for now, you can switch tabs to find out what is happening in Karachi between hosts Pakistan and England. This is the pair of Pratyush and Bidipto saying good bye. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Pat Cummins (Australia captain): It has been a great couple of days, a really fine performance from us, match finishes in two days, which is rare really. The pitch was good to bowl on, pretty tricky for sure and yesterday, it looked really green. Some of us performed really well individually, Travis batted superbly to get us to a strong position and us bowlers got the job done after that. (On Mitchell Starc getting to 300 Test wickets) You have to hand it to him! His longevity, his will to keep going and his ability to step it up when matters, for the team, has been remarkable. Hope to see him take many more. (On the next match) Nice to get an extended break, we will re-energize, regroup and come back, hopefully fresher and stronger on Boxing Day.
Dean Elgar (South African captain): Maybe a few runs and we could have had a different result. (Word on the pitch) Pretty spicy. If you're a bowler, you'd be licking your lips. Challenging for the batters, no doubt but on the flip side, it wasn't a fair contest. In fairness, we can't prepare any better than we have. The conditions were not in favor of the batters. If you think about the partnership between Smith and Head, that was the difference really. We'll prepare like we do and see how it goes in the next Test. (Wickets in the final session) I think a few scars might have been opened a little bit. If you have two quality bowling attacks, that's what people want to watch but they also want to watch a contest for five days.
Travis Head is the Player of the Match. Here is what he has to say: It was very difficult (batting). Nice to contribute and get a score. We were looking for opporuntities to score and throw them off their lengths. It was challenging in the middle but we got through. Me and Steve were looking to stay positive throughout and that was nice. It was probably one of the most challenging innings I've ever played. Good job by the bowlers ot keep them to a low total. No matter of the wicket, the game is going to be challenging regardless.
Mitchell Starc: We tried to do that before and none of us can recall a two-day Test. Very interesting. (300 Test wickets) It was pretty cool. Very privileged to get there and I'll think about that more later. It was nice getting it through the gate (the dismissal). Will definitely take that. It's one to reflect on when it's done and dusted. I guess so. I know I prioritize Test cricket but it's not a sacrifice, it's what I enjoy doing. The rest all adds up. Obviously, the last two years have been more consistent and the best Test cricket I've played. Hopefully, that continues. It's great to sit back and enjoy each other's success. (Reason for Australia's bowling performances?) Bowling captain (laughs). We've all grown up together and enjoy each other's company on the field. Scotty (Boland) has come into that beautifully and Neser is waiting in the lines too. He (Lyon) has it pretty easy in this Test.
Nathan Lyon: It's a good start to the series. I've always said I love playing cricket to see my mates do well. It's pretty special to see what he (Starc) has achieved in all three formats. We've got two excellent bowling attacks going against each other, so it's expected. Some might say it's too much but it's the quality of the bowlers at show. (Demons on the pitch or great bowling?) It was a bit of both. Cricket is a contest between bat and ball and you've got to stand up in that scenario. It was great to be a part of this game. He's (Travis Head) the man of the match for me. The scorecard sums that up.
Australia win by 6 wickets.
South Africa - 152 all out and 99 all out || Australia - 218 all out and 34/4
Temba Bavuma - 38 (70) and 29 (61) | Kagiso Rabada - 4/76 and 4/13 Travis Head - 92 (96) and 0 (1) | Pat Cummins - 2/35 and 5/42
A Test match ending inside two days in Australia is unheard of. In face, it has happened only twice now. But it is not a team that is playing its first Test, which has been rolled over, it is the second-placed side in the World Test Championship table - South Africa - who have lost like this.
In the fourth and final innings of the game, the one that just finished to end the match, Australia did indeed chase the paltry 34 runs down in 7.5 overs, but, for the loss of 4 wickets.
Kagiso Rabada bowled with a lot of fire, hostility, accuracy and heart to take all those four Australian wickets. More importantly, the opening batters for Australia and Steve Smith, were knocked over cheaply. Travis Head, whose first innings performance may well earn him the Player of the Match, was out without scoring.
Marnus Labuschagne somehow held fort and saw his team through to victory, but had the target been over 50, things could have got a lot more interesting!
The pitch of course, was not the best by any means, but one has to say, the batting from both sides, more so the Proteas, was average to say the least. With the top two teams in this World Test Championship cycle playing against each other, a better batting effort, all round, is well and truly expected.
With this win, Australia go a step closer to playing the World Test Championship Final, but South Africa have been handed a massive blow to their chances of making the cut, with India, the third placed team at the moment in the standings, winning handsomely in Chattogram earlier today.
7.6 Anrich Nortje to Cameron Green, FIVE WIDES! An anti-climatic end to an eventful Test match at the Gabba. And as it turns out, extras were Australia's top scorer for this innings, which should tell you just how difficult the conditions were. This one's dug in short, flying over the keeper's head to give Australia a six-wicket win and a one-nil lead in the series.
7.5 Anrich Nortje to Marnus Labuschagne, at the back of a length in the off-stump line. Labuschagne fends it in front of point to hustle across to the other end
7.4 Anrich Nortje to Marnus Labuschagne, pitched up to angle it into the right-hander. Labuschagne presents the full face to drive it back to Nortje, who gets fingertips on it to deflect the ball onto the stumps at his end. Green never left his crease though, no run
Three slips, a gully, a short-leg and a short mid-wicket in place.
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The Gabba, Brisbane
