Australia had a difficult start to the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban, despite winning the toss and choosing to bat. The hosts’ bowlers kept things tight and picked up regular wickets to leave Australia struggling at 187/6 when bad light brought an early end to Day 1.
Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen picked up two wickets each, while Anrich Nortje made an impressive return to South African Test cricket with two wickets of his own. Matt Renshaw and Australian captain Pat Cummins helped their side recover after a middle-order collapse.
Playing XI of South Africa and Australia
South Africa made a notable change to their pace attack, with Anrich Nortje returning to the Test side after a long absence. Kagiso Rabada missed the match as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. South Africa also included Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer to strengthen their spin options.
Australia handed Nic Maddinson an opportunity at the top of the order alongside Travis Head. Their batting lineup included experienced players such as Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, while captain Pat Cummins remained an important option with both bat and ball.
South African bowlers dominate the opening session
Australia’s decision to bat first did not bring the start they wanted. Wiaan Mulder dismissed Travis Head for nine, with wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne taking the catch. Marco Jansen then removed Nic Maddinson for a duck after the batter faced 33 balls. Australia were reduced to 24/2, putting pressure on Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith to rebuild the innings. The pair showed patience and tried to settle things down against South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith added 60 runs for the third wicket. However, Wiaan Mulder dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for 37 just before lunch, giving South Africa another important breakthrough. Australia’s score at the end of morning session was 84 for the loss of 3 wickets in 26 overs.
Wiaan Mulder & Marco Jansen strike as Australia lose control
Australia needed their experienced batters to build a bigger partnership after lunch. Instead, Steven Smith was dismissed for 25, caught by Wiaan Mulder at gully off Marco Jansen. The wicket left the visitors with another major rebuilding task. South Africa continued to apply pressure through tight lines and lengths. Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen kept the scoring under control, while Anrich Nortje brought extra pace into the attack on his return.
Anrich Nortje also made an impact by taking two wickets. Anrich Nortje’s ability to generate pace gave South Africa another option alongside the control offered by Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen. Australia’s middle order struggled to build partnerships, and the visitors found themselves in trouble at 120/6. Their innings needed a response from the lower order to avoid ending the day in a much weaker position. Australia’s score at the end of the afternoon session was 149 for the loss of 6 wickets in 53 overs.
Matt Renshaw & Pat Cummins lead Australia’s recovery
Matt Renshaw and Pat Cummins gave Australia some much-needed stability after the fall of six wickets. Renshaw played a patient innings and remained unbeaten on 46, while Pat Cummins supported him with an unbeaten 33. Their partnership helped Australia move towards 187/6 before bad light stopped play at 65.2 overs. Although Australia had lost too many wickets, the stand gave them a chance to push towards a more competitive first-innings total on Day 2.
South Africa will still be pleased with their performance, having kept the Australian batters under pressure for most of the day.
What lies ahead on Day 2?
Australia will look to Matt Renshaw and Pat Cummins to continue their partnership and add valuable runs with the remaining batters. Every additional run will be important after losing six wickets on the opening day. South Africa, on the other hand, will aim to wrap up the Australian innings quickly. Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje have already made important contributions, and the hosts will want to maintain that pressure when play resumes.
The first day belonged largely to South Africa’s bowling attack, but Australia have shown some resistance through Matt Renshaw and Pat Cummins. Day 2 will be crucial in deciding whether the visitors can recover or whether the hosts can take control of the Test.
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