Fast bowlers share honours on Day One as South Africa restrict Australia to 187/6

Durban: A fast bowling attack minus spearhead Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa restrict Australia to 187/6 before bad light and rain brought an early end to the first day of the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.

Despite missing Rabada, the likes of Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen utilised early movement and bounce effectively after Australia elected to bat on a pitch carrying a tinge of grass. Mulder drew first blood by removing Travis Head (9), before Jansen ended Nic Maddinson’s scoreless 33-ball stay on his Test return to leave the visitors reeling at 24/2.

Marnus Labuschagne (37) and Steve Smith (25) mounted a recovery with a 60-run third-wicket alliance coming off 94 balls. Smith, who went past Steve Waugh to become Australia’s third-highest run-scorer in men’s Tests, hit spinner Keshav Maharaj for two sixes before falling to Jansen after lunch.

On the other hand, Labuschagne’s 11th consecutive innings without a fifty ended when Mulder trapped him LBW with a sharp nip-backer. Nortje, making his comeback to red-ball cricket after three years, then dealt a double blow in a single over -- removing Alex Carey (14) and Beau Webster (4) to reduce Australia to 124/6.

But Matt Renshaw (46 not out) and skipper Pat Cummins (33 not out) displayed immense patience under heavy overcast skies and floodlights by stitching together an unbeaten 63-run stand off 140 balls for the seventh wicket to steady the innings.

Bad light and light rain eventually cut the final session short by an hour, with 65.2 overs bowled on the day. Jansen, Mulder and Nortje shared two wickets apiece for the Proteas, while off-spinner Simon Harmer bowled an economical spell of 0-34 in 14 overs. Play will resume early on Saturday with Australia seeking to build on their late recovery.

Brief scores:

Australia 187/6 in 65.2 overs (Matt Renshaw 46 not out, Marnus Labuschagne 37; Wiaan Mulder 2-31, Marco Jansen 2-35) against South Africa

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