Matthew Renshaw stole the show on Day 2 as he got his second Test ton and first since 2017. It was individual brilliance from the southpaw as he batted with the tail to help Australia post 390 runs after starting the day at 187/6. Matthew Renshaw was the star of the show for Australia while Wiaan Mulder picked up 4 wickets for South Africa. The Proteas have lost a wicket in reply before bad light curtailed play in the final session.
Matthew Renshaw leads Australia’s charge in the morning session despite losing a couple of wickets
Matthew Renshaw and captain Pat Cummins came out to resume the proceedings for Australia while Anrich Nortje had the ball in hand for South Africa to complete the unfinished over from last night. Renshaw looked to defend with soft hands and got the outside edge past gully and away for a boundary to reach his fifty in 117 balls. Cummins then leaned into the drive square of the wicket past backward point for a boundary. Marco Jansen came into the attack from the other end. He delivered a maiden over.
Nortje continued and bowled a tight over. Jansen too bowled a probing over as well. Nortje continued as Cummins flicked the ball through the midwicket region for a triple as the 200 came up for Australia in 69.3 overs. Jansen continued and bowled another tight over. Nortje continued and bowled another probing over. Keshav Maharaj came into the attack for the first time this morning, and he bowled a decent over.
Wiaan Mulder came back into the attack and finally broke the threatening stand as he removed Cummins for 43 off 98 balls with 6 fours to his name as the outside edge carried to Aiden Markram at second slip, who took a good catch to his left. Mitchell Starc came out to bat next. Maharaj continued and overstepped but bowled a decent over. Mulder bowled another probing over. Maharaj also bowled a decent over.
Simon Harmer came into the attack next for the first time this morning. He bowled a quiet first over of his morning. Maharaj, too, kept things tight. Harmer continued as Starc broke the shackles with a push away from the body and got the outside edge past the slips for a lucky boundary. Australia were 225/7 in 80 overs and now the second new ball was due and was taken immediately. Marco Jansen came back into the attack.
He started with a wide but bowled a decent over. Wiaan Mulder had the ball in hand from the other end, and he knocked over Starc for 6 off 25 balls with one four to his name. Drinks were taken at this stage, after which Nathan Lyon came out to bat next. Mulder overstepped but ended a successful over. Jansen continued and bowled a tight over. Mulder bowled a tight over as well. Jansen continued and bowled another good over.
Mulder continued as Renshaw broke the shackles with a flick behind square for a boundary through backward square leg. Mulder overstepped yet again. Nortje returned to the attack as Renshaw leaned into the cover drive for a boundary to the deep cover fence. Renshaw then played the late aerial cut and slashed hard at the ball to find the middle of the bat and got it over the top of the gully fielder for a boundary. The 250 came up for Australia in 87 overs.
Mulder continued as Lyon got his first boundary of the day with a ball on the pads, working it away to the long leg fence. Nortje continued and bowled a maiden. Mulder continued and overstepped yet again. Nortje continued as Renshaw got the thick outside edge along the ground through the backward point region for a boundary. Jansen returned to the attack as Renshaw used his wrist to beat Bavuma at mid-on for a welcome boundary.
Nortje continued as Renshaw got to his ton with a boundary off a flick in front of square for a boundary to midwicket as the 100 came up off 204 balls. Nortje gifted 4 leg byes as a bonus to the fielding team next. Jansen continued and bowled a maiden over. Maharaj came back into the attack and bowled a tight over. Simon Harmer returned to bowl the last over before Lunch. Harmer bowled a tight over as Australia went into Lunch on Day 2 at 277/8 in 96 overs. Renshaw was unbeaten on 102 off 218 balls alongside Lyon, unbeaten on 7 off 34 balls.
Players have left the field for Lunch on Day 2.
Matthew Renshaw’s swashbuckling innings drives Australia ahead in the afternoon session, despite losing Nathan Lyon at the back end of the innings
Matthew Renshaw and Nathan Lyon came out to resume proceedings for Australia while Keshav Maharaj had the ball in hand for South Africa. Maharaj bowled a decent first over. Simon Harmer had the ball in hand from the other end. Renshaw took the aerial route as he saw the width and threw his hands at it, as the ball went away to the long-off fence for a boundary. Maharaj continued as Renshaw got down on one knee and reverse-swept the ball to perfection for a boundary at deep backward point region. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over.
Maharaj continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued as Renshaw played the mistimed slog sweep towards the deep midwicket region. Maharaj continued and bowled a tight over. Harmer bowled another decent over. Marco Jansen came back into the attack next as the 300 came up for Australia in 104.4 overs. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Jansen continued as Renshaw broke the shackles by riding the extra bounce and clipping it away to the deep square leg fence for a boundary.
Nortje continued as Lyon took him on with a whip past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over. Nortje troubled the batters with bouncers, and one of them hit Renshaw on the grill. Renshaw recovered but Nortje was in the zone as he bowled a maiden. Simon Harmer returned, and he bowled a decent over. Nortje continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer bowled another quiet over. Mulder returned for another spell as Renshaw looked to square drive it to the point region as the ball raced away to the gully region for a boundary.
Australia reached 319/8 in 114 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session. Harmer continued after the break as Renshaw leaned into the covers and extra covers for a boundary. Mulder continued as Lyon showed his calm as he shuffled across and pulled it across the line for a boundary. Harmer continued as the 100-run stand came up between Renshaw and Lyon. Mulder returned and bowled tight lines and lengths to the newcomers. Lyon then plunged into the matter by offering a straight bat as he drove past mid-on for a boundary.
Maharaj continued from the other end as Renshaw leaned into the drive and nailed the reverse sweep for a boundary as the 150 came up for Matthew Renshaw. Renshaw then perfectly placed the reverse sweep through deep backward point for a boundary. Aiden Markram is being given the ball by South Africa. He bowled a decent spell in the tour game. Maharaj continued as Renshaw got the ball to hit as he leaned into the cover drive past long-off for a boundary. Markram continued and bowled a probing over. Maharaj too bowled a decent over.
Markram kept things under control. Maharaj continued as Renshaw broke the shackles with an off-drive that nailed the shot and went away to the mid-off fence for a boundary. Nortje bowled a decent over. Lyon survived a close caught-behind case as he was given NOT OUT. The TV umpire is set to make decisions; if they make errors, then nothing can be done. The next morning he had direct flights back to Mumbai. Lyon then pulled the ball through deep backward square leg for a boundary. Nortje continued and bowled a maiden.
Jansen then struck for the Proteas as he removed the stubborn stand between Lyon and Renshaw, with Lyon adjudged LBW for 27 off 92 balls with 5 fours to his name as the stand was broken. It hurt India a little bit; West Indies have to up their games which will be fascinating to see. Josh Hazlewood came out to bat next. Nortje continued as Renshaw took it on and deposited it over cow corner for the maximum.
Jansen continued and bowled a tight over. Nortje continued as Renshaw pulled the ball on front of square through the deep midwicket region for a boundary. Jansen continued as Hazlewood crunched it away by an upper cut between point and covers for a boundary.
Simon Harmer came back into the attack as Renshaw drove it hard through covers for a boundary. Mulder returned to the attack as he bowled a tight over. Harmer continued and kept things under check. Mulder continued and bowled the last over before Tea. Australia went on to Tea at 390/9 in 137 overs with Renshaw unbeaten on 190 off 395 balls alongside Hazlewood unbeaten on 5 off 11 balls as the players left for the Tea Break.
Matthew Renshaw departs for 190 as Australia are bowled out for 390; South Africa lose one before the end of the day
Matthew Renshaw and Josh Hazlewood came out to resume proceedings for Australia while Simon Harmer had the ball in hand for South Africa. Within two balls of the session, Harmer picked the last wicket to fall for the Aussies. Renshaw was the man dismissed for 190 off 397 balls with 21 fours and 1 six to his name as the edge found Markram in the slips. Hazlewood was unbeaten on 5 off 11 balls with one four to his name as Australia were eventually bowled out for 390 in 137.2 overs. 30 extras were given by the Proteas bowlers.
It was a hard toil for the South African bowlers in the end. Wiaan Mulder was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/68 in 27 overs. Marco Jansen finished with 3/68 in 31 overs. Anrich Nortje finished with 2/88 in 28 overs. Simon Harmer finished with 1/68 in 28.2 overs. Keshav Maharaj finished with 0/75 in 20 overs. Aiden Markram bowled 3 overs for 3 runs. It was now time for South Africa’s first innings to start.
Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton came out to open the batting for South Africa in their first innings while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for Australia. Starc began with a maiden over. Josh Hazlewood had the ball in hand from the other end. It took 3 balls for Hazlewood to draw first blood for Australia as Rickelton’s edge was found and Beau Webster took the catch at third slip smartly. David Bedingham came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Starc continued as Australia burnt a review against Markram as a clear inside edge was detected.
Markram hit the first boundary of the innings as he played a delightful extra cover drive for a boundary. Markram then straight drove the bowler for a boundary. Hazlewood continued and bowled another probing over. Starc continued as Bedingham punched off the middle of the bat past mid-off for a boundary. Hazlewood continued as Markram leaned into the drive through covers for a boundary. Starc continued as Bedingham played it late and flicked it towards deep midwicket for a boundary.
Hazlewood continued and bowled a decent over. Captain Pat Cummins came into the attack next and bowled 4 balls in his first over, giving away 2 runs before bad light stopped play and the curtains were closed on Day 2. Markram remained unbeaten on 15 off 27 balls with 3 fours to his name, while Bedingham is unbeaten on 12 off 22 balls with 2 fours to his name. No extras given so far as South Africa ended Day 2 at 27/1 in 8.4 overs.
3 bowlers have been used by Australia so far. Josh Hazlewood was the star with figures of 1/9 in 4 overs. Mitchell Starc finished with 0/16 in 4 overs. Pat Cummins, the captain, has bowled 4 balls for 2 runs. Australia is firmly in the driving seat at the end of Day 2.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3
The moving day of the Test match, i.e., Day 3, could be the crucial day of the match and series. Australia is on top and would like to bowl South Africa out for as low a score as possible. South Africa needs to show character to match Australia’s first innings. The Aussies are in a position where it is difficult to lose from here. South Africa needs to bat out of their skins to make a match out of this. The hosts are in trouble in Durban.
Let’s see what Day 3 has in store for all of us.
Also Read: SA vs AUS: Marco Jansen’s 3-Wicket Haul Derails Australia