Australia v South Africa – South Africa tour of Australia (3rd Test) – Match Recap [Day 1] – Aussies trail by 192 runs with 8 wickets remaining by stumps
Australia’s bowlers launched a concentrated strike and enabled their team to establish a dominant position on the first day of their series-deciding final Test against South Africa, limiting the visitors to a first innings total of 225 at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground in Perth, today on November 30.
With a bevy of competent pacers at their disposal, Australia reconfigured their bowling attack to include Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, and debutant John Hastings. The attack was further bolstered by the return of all-rounder and vice-captain Shane Watson, while Nathan Lyon added an element of spin.
The Proteas felt the force of the home team’s assault soon after they won the toss and chose to bat first. Watson (9-2-22-1) was the first to strike, and went on to remover opener and skipper Graeme Smith (16) early in the visitors’ first innings.
Alviro Petersen (30) was the only batsman from the top-order who managed a somewhat competitive score, but Starc (16-3-55-2) did not allow the Proteas opener to rack up too high a total, sending him back to the pavilion in the 23rd over, followed swiftly by Jacques Kallis (2) two overs later.
Hashim Amla (11) and AB de Villiers (4) were similarly lacklustre, and were dismissed in successive overs – the former run out by David Warner, and the latter snapped up by Hastings (20-2-51-1) as his first Test scalp. The remainder of the innings was dominated by Johnson (17-3-54-2) and Lyon (12-1-41-3), but try as they might, the Aussies were unable to dislodge Faf du Plessis (78*), who played a pivotal role in getting his team past the 200-run mark.
Following Dean Elgar’s dismissal on duck at the hands of Johnson, du Plessis and Robin Peterson (31) joined forces for a promising 57-run opening stand. Peterson was eventually sent packing by Lyon, but du Plessis soldiered on, teaming up with Vernon Philander (30) for a 64-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Philander was eventually picked up by Lyon, and Dale Steyn (2) and Morne Morkel (17) followed suit, the former dismissed by Johnson, and the latter by Lyon. By the end of the innings, du Plessis was the last man standing, having managed to get his side from 67 to 225 before they were all out.
Australia then stepped up to the crease for their turn at bat, but suffered two losses before the day came to a close. Ed Cowan was dismissed on duck by Steyn in the very first over, and Shane Watson (10) was trapped lbw 5 overs later by Philander.
However, opener David Warner (12*) remained fixed at the crease, and accompanied by nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (7*) – who was mistaken for the soon-to-retire Ricky Ponting and treated to a rousing standing ovation when he walked out onto the pitch – got Australia up to 33 or 2 by stumps, trailing by just 192 runs, with 8 wickets still in hand.
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