JOHANNESBURG, March (ANA) - Australia’s difficult week continued in the field and with the bat at the Wanderers on Saturday as South Africa finished the second day completely in control of the Test.
With six wickets already gone with Australia 378 behind on first innings, they are looking at a massive defeat to round out a nightmare few days for the team.
South Africa started the day at 313/6 after quick wickets at the end of the first day had pegged them back. A brilliant 95 not out from Temba Bavuma and runs from Quinton de Kock (39) and Keshav Maharaj (45) saw South Africa reach 488 all out to put them in the box seat in this fourth and final Test.
With four first innings wickets left to take the Australians would have been hopeful of wrapping up the South African innings quickly on the second morning, but de Kock and Bavuma were belligerent in their defence in the first hour.
Bavuma had been out of the South African side with a broken hand and this is just his second game back in the team. He was extremely patient against a ball that was still relatively new at the start of the second day, scoring just one run in the first hour of the day. As the day progressed he started to find fluency and he was looking good for his second Test match hundred before he ran out of batting partners when Morne Morkel fell first ball to Pat Cummins, who will begin the second innings on a hat-trick.
Cummins was the pick of the Australian bowlers, claiming 5/83 from his 28.5 overs of work. On a pitch that was a bit up and down Cummins' pace and aggression that caused the most issues for the South Africans. Despite his best efforts and wickets for Chadd Sayers and Nathan Lyon, however, South Africa still posted a daunting first innings total.
Having seen the lower order plunder runs it was up to the new look opening pair of Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw to get their team off to a solid start in reply. Unfortunately for the beleaguered tourists that is not how things unfolded.
Burns was the first to go, having a dart at one outside off stump from Kagiso Rabada that was gobbled up by Faf du Plessis at second slip. Then it was Vernon Philander’s turn to get in amongst the wickets as he removed Renshaw and Peter Hanscomb in successive deliveries.
Australia were 38/3, still trailing by 450 runs with the three batsmen that had come into this side to replace those banned for their involvement in the ball-tampering episode in the previous Test all back in the pavilion.
Khawaja was the Australian that offered the most resistance as he compiled an innings of 53 from 84 deliveries as he battled to hold things together for his side. He had looked increasingly confident at the crease before he tickled one down the leg side to give Philander another wicket as de Kock took a superb catch standing up to the stumps.
Once Khawaja departed the situation deteriorated fast for the Australians as they stumbled to 110/6 at the close, the Marsh brothers departing in quick succession. For the Australians, the only thing they have left to be thankful for is that this tour is nearly over.
- African News Agency (ANA)
