Josh Inglis stood up and dominated the final session to swing the Test match in Australia’s favour. Josh Inglis was a treat to watch and is being supported by other players. Matthew Renshaw played well for his 74 while Head made 41. Thereafter, Cameron Green fell for 65 off 110 balls. Alex Carey also scored a half-century as Australia finished on a high as he remained unbeaten on 51 off 126 balls. For the Proteas, they need character to claw their way back in the game, with Harmer picking up 2 wickets and Jansen picking up 2 wickets.
Let’s see how this match pans out from here as we move into Day 3 of this Test match.
Simon Harmer’s double strike dents Australia after the visitors got off to a promising start in the morning session
Matthew Renshaw and Travis Head came out to open the batting for Australia in their first innings while Kagiso Rabada had the ball in hand for South Africa on Day 2. Renshaw was off and running straightaway as he crouched and threw his hands at it to hit it past backward point for a boundary to get going. Marco Jansen shared the new ball from the other end and bowled a maiden. Rabada continued and bowled a decent over. Jansen continued as Renshaw got the outside edge that went past backward point for a boundary. Renshaw flicked it away past deep square leg for a boundary.
Rabada continued as Head punched the ball past backward point region for a boundary. Jansen continued as Head pierced the gap with a slice past diving backward point for a boundary. Rabada continued and bowled a decent over. Jansen continued as Renshaw pushed it down the ground for a boundary. Rabada continued and bowled a probing over. Gerald Coetzee came into the attack next. Head crunched him away with a cut past deep backward point for a boundary.
Australia were 37/0 in 10 overs. Rabada continued as Head drove it between the big gap at cover for a boundary. Coetzee continued and bowled a maiden. Wiaan Mulder came into the attack now. He started his spell with a miserly over. Coetzee continued as Head got underneath it and smashed it through covers for a boundary and then ramped it over the keeper’s head for a boundary. The 50 came up for Australia in 13.2 overs. Australia were 51/0 in 14 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break in the morning session with the Aussies on top.
Wiaan Mulder continued after the break as Head slapped it past covers for a boundary. Coetzee continued and bowled a decent over. Mulder kept it tight as well. Simon Harmer came into the attack next and drew first blood for the Proteas as he dismissed Head for 41 off 49 balls with 7 fours to his name as the batter once again chopped it back onto the stumps. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next. Harmer had two in the over as Marnus was dismissed for a 5th-ball duck as he edged it to Aiden Markram at slip.
Cameron Green came out to bat next. Mulder continued and delivered a maiden over. Harmer continued and bowled a probing maiden over. Mulder continued and bowled a good over as well. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over as well. Mulder continued with the keeper up to the stumps as Green looked to push at it and got the outside edge past gully for a boundary. Mulder conceded a wide while Green drove it to the left of covers for a boundary. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over.
Marco Jansen came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Gerald Coetzee came back into the attack and gifted 4 byes to the batting side. Marco Jansen continued and bowled the last over before Lunch. Green got the ball in the slot and swung it past Bavuma at mid-off for a boundary to end the session. Australia were 90/2 in 27 overs with Renshaw unbeaten on 27 off 75 balls alongside Green unbeaten on 17 off 33 balls as the players left the field for Lunch on Day 2.
Matthew Renshaw & Cameron Green drive Australia forward before Marco Jansen’s double strike lifts South Africa in an entertaining afternoon session
Matthew Renshaw and Cameron Green came to resume proceedings for Australia after Lunch while Gerald Coetzee had the ball in hand for South Africa. Coetzee started with a maiden after Lunch. Kagiso Rabada operated from the other end. Green took to the off-side and cut it hard past backward point for a boundary. Renshaw joined in the fun as he got across and flicked it away past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Coetzee continued and thought he had Green caught at second slip by Harmer. But the TV umpire was called in, and it was deemed a bump ball.
Green survived a scare there. It was a maiden from Coetzee as Rabada continued next. Renshaw defended on the front foot and got the outside edge past second slip for a boundary as the 100 came up for Australia in 30.1 overs. Coetzee continued as Green stood tall and punched it past backward point for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between Green and Renshaw. Rabada continued and bowled a probing over.
Simon Harmer returned as Green pounced on the poor ball as he stayed deep in the crease and slapped it through covers for a boundary. Rabada continued as Green took on the short ball now. He pulled it over deep backward square leg for the maximum and then hung deep to get the top edge over Ackerman for the maximum. The next ball he pulled it in front of square for a boundary to beat Ackerman at deep forward square leg.
Harmer continued as Renshaw swept the ball through deep square leg for a boundary. Renshaw stayed deep in the crease and flicked it past the keeper for a boundary to the fine leg fence. Renshaw survived a close LBW shout as the appeal was not given and the DRS showed the umpire’s call on hitting the stumps. The review was retained as the batter survived. Rabada continued as Green got to his fifty in 65 balls, his 9th Test fifty. Renshaw reached his 5th Test fifty in 101 balls as well. Renshaw also completed 1000 Test runs as well.
Harmer continued and bowled a decent over. Mulder returned as Renshaw drove it handsomely past extra cover for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the duo. Green then helped it on its way with soft hands through deep fine leg for a boundary. Australia reached 163/2 in 40 overs when we all paused for Drinks in the afternoon session.
Mulder continued after the Break and delivered a maiden. Harmer followed it up with a maiden as well. Mulder continued as Renshaw showed deft touch and guided it using the bowler’s pace past gully for a boundary. Harmer continued and delivered another maiden. Mulder too bowled a decent over. Marco Jansen came back into the attack and bowled a probing over. Harmer changed ends and bowled a decent over. Jansen continued and bowled a probing over as well.
Harmer kept things tight as well. Jansen continued and finally broke the threatening stand as he removed Renshaw for a well-made 74 off 139 balls with 10 fours to his name thanks to excellent usage of DRS. Renshaw tried to play the upper cut against Jansen and got the edge to the keeper. But the umpire was unmoved. DRS was taken, and after that, the decision was reversed as the Proteas had an opening now. Josh Inglis came out to bat next. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over.
Jansen continued and got another as the other set batter was dismissed. Green was dismissed for 65 off 110 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the edge was found and Harmer took a good catch as well. Keeper batter Alex Carey came out to bat next. Harmer continued as Inglis used the depth of the crease and slashed it between deep backward point and gully for a boundary.
Jansen came to bowl the last over before Tea and bowled a maiden. Australia reached 191/4 in 54 overs with Inglis unbeaten on 5 off 9 balls and Carey unbeaten on 1 off 12 balls. The players walked off the field for Tea on Day 2 with Australia trailing by 138 runs with 6 wickets in hand at this stage.
Josh Inglis & Alex Carey dominate the final session to put Australia in the driving seat
Josh Inglis and Alex Carey came out to resume proceedings for Australia while Simon Harmer had the ball in hand for South Africa. Harmer bowled a decent first over after Tea. Gerald Coetzee had the ball in hand from the other end. There was a mix-up between the two batters as a direct hit at the bowler’s end would have had Carey dismissed, but the throw from Ackerman was missed. They survived a scare. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over again. Coetzee continued as the 200 came up for Australia in 57.4 overs.
Harmer continued and bowled a decent over. Coetzee continued and bowled a tidy over as well. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over as well. Coetzee continued as Carey stayed deep in the crease and punched it through the gully region for a boundary. Harmer continued as Carey drove the ball past mid-on for a boundary. Wiaan Mulder came back into the attack next. Carey got a thick outside edge towards the deep backward point fence for a triple. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over.
Mulder continued and delivered a maiden. Kagiso Rabada came back into the attack, and he bowled a decent over on his return. Mulder bowled another maiden. Rabada bowled another decent over. Mulder continued as Carey showed deft touch with an open bat face, and the ball went through slip and gully for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Rabada continued and bowled a probing over.
Harmer returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Rabada continued as Inglis got into the act as he jumped back and rode the bounce to open the bat face through gully region for a boundary. Australia reached 246/4 in 73 overs when we paused for a drinks break. Harmer continued after the break and bowled a tight over. Aiden Markram came into the attack for the first time today. The 250 came up for Australia in 74.1 overs. Markram bowled a decent first over.
Harmer continued as Inglis stepped down the track and launched it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Harmer conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side as the ball beat everyone when the batter went for the drive. Markram continued as Inglis got down on one knee and helped it on its way with a sweep past short fine leg for a boundary. Markram conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Harmer continued as Harmer lunged forward to sit down on one knee and rolled his wrists with a reverse through backward point for a boundary.
Markram continued as Inglis rocked back and made room for himself before slapping it through extra covers for a boundary. Inglis reached his fifty in just 76 balls. Harmer continued as the 100-run stand came up between the two players. Australia reached 286/4 in 80 overs when the second new ball became available and was taken straightaway. Marco Jansen took the new ball and bowled a probing over.
Kagiso Rabada came back into the attack to share the second new ball with Jansen. Josh Inglis survived a minor LBW scare as the LBW appeal against him was turned down. The review was taken and the height saved the batter as the review was burnt as well. Rabada’s over was a decent one. Jansen continued as Inglis opened the bat face and drove it with hard hands slicing off the thick outside edge as the ball flew over Mulder at backward point for a boundary.
Rabada continued and bowled a decent over as well. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over as well. Rabada continued as the 300 came up for Australia in 85.3 overs. Inglis took on Rabada as he stood tall and swivelled the pull shot with a top edge over Mulder at deep backward square leg for the maximum. Gerald Coetzee came back into the attack next as Inglis used the angled bat and used the pace of the bowler before whipping it through midwicket for a classy boundary.
Harmer came back into the attack post the new ball. Harmer bowled a quiet over. Coetzee continued as Inglis arched his back and ramped it over short third man for a boundary. Inglis carved it away to beat gully and third man region for a boundary. Carey then got into the attack with a lunge forward and drove it through the covers for a boundary as the fifty came up for 125 balls as he reached his Test half-century. This was his 14th Test fifty.
Simon Harmer came to bowl the final over of the day and bowled a quiet over as Australia finished with 330/4 in 90 overs at the end of the day’s play. Inglis was unbeaten on 85 off 111 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes to his name, while Carey was unbeaten on 51 off 126 balls with 4 fours to his name. 14 extras were given by the fielding side so far.
For South Africa, it was a hard toil for the South African bowlers. Marco Jansen was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/37 in 14 overs. Simon Harmer chipped in with 2/84 in 27 overs. Kagiso Rabada finished with 0/81 in 18 overs. Gerald Coetzee finished with 0/54 in 14 overs. Wiaan Mulder finished with 0/47 in 14 overs. Aiden Markram bowled 3 overs for 14 runs. This meant that Australia were on top at the end of the day. They have wickets in hand to build on the lead in the 3rd day’s play.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3
Australia are in control of the Test match after the first two days. But no team can take things for granted and allow the opposition back in the game. With Australia having just secured the lead, they will look to build on it and get the lead to around 100 runs if not more. For the hosts, it is about control and limiting the runs as much as they could do. The Proteas are up against it.
Let’s see how the third day’s play pans out in Cape Town with the Proteas having to fight back in the series. They are lagging behind at the moment for sure.
Also Read: SA vs AUS: Mitchell Starc’s 6-Wicket Haul Ruins South Africa