Australia vs South Africa 1st Test Full Commentary

Welcome back, folks. It's time for South Africa's reply with the bat. The Aussies spring out and take their respective fielding spots. Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram are the two openers for the hosts. Mitchell Starc, boasting 445 Test wickets, has the new ball in hand and is raring to go with Markram on strike. A conventional cordon with three slips and a gully in place. Here we go...

... Second Innings ...

A huge mountain to scale - Now then, South Africa face a vastly experienced Australian pace attack, and the hosts have called for the heavy roller to press down any lingering cracks in the surface. We are heading into the last stretch of the day, and with some cloud cover and a fresh swinging ball, the bowlers will be licking their lips. Could be a testing period for the batters with the 'Big 3' of Australia ready to steam in. Let's see how the day finishes.

A tired Protean attack - Few would have predicted the Proteas would end up bowling more than 137 overs. Hardly anyone, for sure, but they did. It began so differently, with a superb start from the pacers. Jansen, Mulder and then Nortje chipped away at the Australian top and middle order, which had its fair share of struggles. The Australian lower order frustrated them for a long while, but the Proteas did eventually keep the tourists under 400. Mulder was the pick of the attack with a four-for, Jansen picked up three and Nortje chipped in with two. The spinners had an outing to forget. Maharaj and Harmer posed little threat, and Renshaw in particular feasted on them.

A giant rescue - A huge round of applause echoes around Kingsmead as Renshaw walks back to the dugout, chest puffed out with pride. At 124/6, with the top order scorched by the Protean pace attack, Australia looked dead and buried and were even struggling to reach 200. Then came a massive turnaround, led by Matt Renshaw, who produced the best innings of his Test career, a sensational 190. He will be gutted to have missed out on a deserved double century, but that takes nothing away from what he has done for his country through a knock that will be talked for a long time.

Hello again, folks! Some grey clouds have rolled in over Kingsmead and the sun is peeking through the clouds. Bad light could bring a stoppage, but we will keep our fingers crossed for uninterrupted play as we still have a minimum of 27 overs left in the day's play. Minus a couple of overs for an innings change, if and when the Australians get bowled out. Australia are in the driving seat right now, fair to say at this point. South Africa need some inspiration to bowl the tourists out below 400 to at least gain some psychological win. The Proteas make their way out to the center and right after them, Matt Renshaw (190) and Josh Hazlewood (5) make their way to the crease to resume their partnership, which is worth 26 runs. Simon Harmer has the ball in hand and will get the session underway. Renshaw on strike with a slip in place. Here we go...

... Day 2, Third Session ...

400 on cards - South Africa finally got a sliver of relief when Marco Jansen came back for another burst and ended a feisty 134-run stand by removing Lyon. Renshaw simply kept fighting, though, and went on to post his highest Test score, eclipsing his previous best of 184 against Pakistan in Sydney back in 2017. He is now on the cusp of a memorable double century and with the way he has batted so far, it looks like he will get there without much fuss. South Africa will look to bowl the Aussies out as soon as they come back to bowl, with fresh plans and rejuvenated. The final session of the day is expected to begin at 1.30 pm GMT. But there could be a couple of minutes' delay as well. So do stick around.

Renshaw frustrates the Proteas - The second session too turned into a long, hot grind for South Africa, and Matt Renshaw was the one setting the terms. He milked the spinners with calm, and farmed the strike by slipping in the odd boundary, while Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj found nothing to work with on a flat deck. The partnership with Nathan Lyon slowly dragged the game out of South Africa's hands. Was it the placid pitch, the old ball, the weary legs or simply excellent batting? Honestly, all four, with Australian stubbornness thrown in for good measure. Bavuma even rolled the dice with Markram's part-time spin, but nothing stirred.

1.15 pm GMT - Tea on Day 2 - As soon as Hazlewood sees out the final ball, the cameras cut to the Australian dressing room, where Cummins is wearing a huge smile. He watches proudly as the lower order wraps up an astonishing rearguard, one that is crowned by a remarkable knock from Renshaw. It has been a real toil for the Proteas bowlers. At 124/6, who would have guessed Australia would be dragging them through nearly 140 overs? But that's the beauty of Test cricket. You have enough time, IF you are willing to hang in there. Another session goes Australia's way and they will be pumped up to push the total past 400.

We are hearing that the session was extended until 1.10 pm GMT or the end of the innings, whichever comes first. So this should be the final over of the session, reckons Mark Howard on air.

South Africa need early strikes - Welcome back! A pivotal passage of play awaits South Africa, who need to come out firing and make early inroads if they are to stay in the contest. With a minimum of 27 overs left in the day, the Proteas will look to crank up the pressure and make life as uncomfortable as possible for the Australian batters. Travis Head and Nic Maddinson are out in the middle, with Maddinson sitting on a pair. How the duo approach this testing phase could go a long way towards shaping the closing stages of the day. Here is Marco Jansen...

... THIRD INNINGS ...

South Africa missed their mark - South Africa showed fight in patches, but the overall batting effort fell short of expectations. The 84-run stand between David Bedingham and Aiden Markram offered early promise before the hosts suffered a sudden collapse, sliding from 84/1 to 99/4 in no time. Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder then attempted to repair the damage, while Marco Jansen chipped in with a lively cameo that briefly lifted the innings. Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer combined to chip away at the deficit, but their resistance could only do so much. The 10th-wicket stand, though, managed to eat out a bit from the deficit. Australia eventually walked away with a handy lead, having done enough to keep the hosts at bay.

Australia seize control - That's the end of South Africa's first innings, and it has been a disappointing effort from the hosts, if you take out the late-order fightback. The momentum Australia built through their lower-order resistance carried straight into their bowling, allowing them to tighten their grip on the contest. Pat Cummins led the charge, with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood providing excellent support, while Nathan Lyon was equally impressive in his role. Australia stuck to their plans, and the short-ball tactic, particularly from Cummins, proved highly effective. Their discipline with the ball was matched by outstanding work in the field, and Steve Smith's spectacular catch to dismiss Kyle Verreynne was just the icing on the cake. A commanding all-round effort has put Australia firmly in the driver's seat.

Australia break through at last - The frustration is finally over for Australia! The 52-run stand for the ninth wicket, followed by a 35-run partnership for the last wicket, had tested their patience, but they have eventually polished off the South African tail. The hosts' lower order made them work hard for every breakthrough, yet Australia have come away with a handy 106-run lead.

Plenty of bowling changes from Pat Cummins. Beau Webster returns and gets a change of ends.

After the expensive over from Beau Webster, he is being replaced. Nathan Lyon is back on from this end.

Mitchell Starc is back on from the other end.

Welcome back South Africa's run chase. The umpires make their way out to the middle. Pat Cummins has his troops in a huddle, and we cannot spot Steve Smith with his teammates. The Aussies now disperse to take their respective fielding positions. Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram are the two South African openers strolling out to the crease with a huge mission ahead. Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. A conventional slip cordon, three slips and a gully in place with Rickelton on strike. Off we go again...

... Fourth Innings ...

UPDATE - Live visuals show Michael Neser in the Aussie whites and going through his warmups. That points to Smith, who took a blow to the helmet earlier, likely being ruled out with a concussion. But we shall get an official confirmation when the players head out. Meanwhile, the Aussie bowlers are going through their bowling drills as the Proteas prepare to get back to bat. Stay tuned as the run chase is up next shortly.

A steep mountain to climb - After the break, Australia have an unknown stretch of time this evening to make early inroads into the South African top order. The experts reckon the clouds that cut short the first three days might stay away a little longer today, though that could just be wishful thinking. The highest successful run chase in Test cricket history is 418 runs, achieved by the West Indies against Australia in May 2003 at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St. John's. So if South Africa are to take the lead in the series, they will have to script a new history in the longest format.

Went into an overdrive - Just when the Proteas thought they had a bit of a relief after Renshaw's dismissal, an outlandish 32 off 12 from skipper Cummins, including four towering sixes, and a brisk 39 from Webster saw the Aussies take the game further away from the hosts. Earlier, the tourists got off to a steady start through Maddinson and Head, though Head could not push on. Maddinson’s busy knock gave his side a solid platform before Smith and Labuschagne settled in, but neither could stretch a start and both fell within a few overs. For the Proteas, Nortje was the pick of the bowlers and looked most effective with a couple of wickets, while a late double strike from Maharaj lifted his figures in what had been an underwhelming Test for him.

Kangaroos kept hopping - Australia kept stretching the lead and the Proteas kept sinking. Renshaw picked up exactly where he left off in the first innings, sharing a gritty 48-run stand with Carey before Nortje’s raw pace finally ended the latter's stay. Nortje kept the pressure on and asked plenty of questions, but the rest of the attack could not match him, and the lead grew steadily. Renshaw added another polished half-century to his collection along the way. South Africa missed a trick or two against him. Renshaw milked runs with sweeps and reverse sweeps, found gaps on both sides of the wicket and handled the spin comfortably, yet the hosts kept feeding him more of it. But in the end it was Maharaj who got rid of him, pulling off a spectacular catch off his own bowling. By then, though, the Aussies had already stretched the lead to 376.

12.17 pm GMT - There comes the declaration - The moment Webster smashes that boundary off the last ball, Cummins reckons they have more than enough on the board. AUSTRALIA DECLARE ON 314, and South Africa are staring at a mammoth target of 421. The declaration means early Tea has been taken in Durban. South Africa's players could do with a cold shower, and then another. As the hosts troop off, Bavuma appreciates his bowlers, who have worked incredibly hard out there. Realistically, though, they have been put through the wringer.

Pat Cummins walks out to bat now.

Fair catch? Keshav Maharaj is claiming that he has held on to this return catch. It did wobble a few times, actually, and the umpires have gone upstairs. It seems very close, but the last angle from the off side shows that the final bounce, which seemed to be bouncing off the turf, is actually off Maharaj's finger and it will be OUT.

Just a glimpse of what's to come - Well, there's been plenty of talk about the 2018 series between these two teams, and just as we did then, the caravan now moves from Durban to Gqeberha for the 2nd Test between South Africa and Australia. The Aussies have asserted their dominance, but the Proteas are known to fight back, and we might have a really cagey 2nd Test. Australia hold firm to the pole position in terms of the World Test Championship table, and South Africa are now 3rd, desperate for a win in order to get back into the top two, but it won't be all that easy. The 2nd Test is scheduled to begin on Sunday, October 18, at 8 am GMT, but you can join us a lot sooner, as usual for the build-up. Cheers!

The Australian skipper - Pat Cummins says that it was a great performance, and what Matt Renshaw did in the first innings was great. He reckons that he has a brilliant side and they did a great job. He says that they have played a lot of Tests and he felt really good that the result went their way. He adds that getting a lead in the series always feels good and ends by saying that Josh Hazlewood is a brilliant bowler and that he did a great job as well, and feels that he can be brought in to bowl at any stage in the innings.

The captain of South Africa - Temba Bavuma says that this isn't the way they wanted to start, but lauds the Australians for the way they dominated, and even after a bobble in the first innings, they managed to get ahead in the game. Bavuma also mentions that the biggest difference between the two teams was that Renshaw went on and scored a big ton, whereas the Protea batters got starts and didn't convert. On the bowling front, Bavuma says that they will try to learn from the opposition as well and correct their mistakes. On the defeat, Bavuma says that they have done well as a unit and also won their last Test in Durban against Sri Lanka, and just need a few tweaks.

Player of the Match - Matt Renshaw has been given the accolade for a match-winning performance of 272 (190 and 82) runs and 2 wickets in the fourth innings as well. Renshaw says that he is feeling a bit tired as it has been a long Test. He adds that he tried to build partnerships and tried to stay in the middle as long as possible. When asked about conditions, he says that they were good and he tried to adapt to the conditions. He reckons that he got a bit lucky in the second innings, as he got a few edges and ends by saying that he felt good about getting wickets with the ball and he feels that he was a bit lucky overall as well.

The Presentation ceremony...

Hazlewood shines late - There were plenty of positives for Australia, not necessarily just with the bat, but plenty of applause has been given to the bowlers as well. It was a well-rounded bowling effort in the first innings to set things up. However, in the final innings, it was Josh Hazlewood who stood head and shoulders above the rest, picking up a career-best 6/49 as he dismantled the Protea top and lower order.

Markram's resistance not enough - It was a pretty under-par batting display from South Africa's top order in their first innings. Aiden Markram and David Bedingham got starts but were unable to turn those into something substantial. The middle order kept chipping in with the runs, but again not one even got into the 40s apart from Bedingham. Needing 421 for the win, it was always going to be a pressure chase, but once again, South Africa's batters stumbled. Bedingham got into the 40s and got out just as he did in the first innings, and Markram was left to do all the heavy lifting. Markram and Wiaan Mulder looked good out there in the first session on Day 5, but once Mulder fell, the wheels came off. Markram faced 237 balls for his 75 before eventually succumbing to the mounting pressure and the hosts were handed a heavy defeat, the first one for Temba Bavuma as Test captain of South Africa.

Renshaw dominates the headlines - Australia came into this Test match with a new opening combination and a vulnerable-looking middle order. However, they seem to have found the solution to their recent middle-order woes thanks to Matt Renshaw. The southpaw hit a towering 190 in the first innings to take Australia from a precarious position to a position of promise, and then another fiery 82 in the third innings helped his side stretch the lead beyond 400 runs. Not only that, but Renshaw picked up a couple of key wickets as well in the final innings, sealing a fine all-round display.

Shades of the 2018 series - We all know that the 2018 Test series between South Africa and Australia became famous for all the wrong reasons, but as Australia did there in the first Test at Durban, they demolished South Africa, sealing the win by a huge margin of 214 runs. South Africa did then go on to win all 3 remaining Test matches, and we have 2 remaining here, so who knows? For now, Australia look like a much more settled side than the hosts and have thoroughky deserved the series lead.

Anrich Nortje is the last batter in for South Africa.

A double wicket maiden from Josh Hazlewood and Australia are just two wickets away now. Mitchell Starc continues...

Keshav Maharaj is the next batter.

Simon Harmer walks in to bat now.