South Africa took the honours on the opening day of the second Test against Australia at Port Elizabeth. The hosts bowled out the visitors just just 243 runs in the first innings before finishing at 39-1 when stumps were called on Friday.
On a day where plenty happened, we look at the key talking points.
WARNER SHOWS THE GOOD AFTER THE BAD
Coming into the Test, the spotlight was always going to be on David Warner following the severe backlash to his ugly spat with Quinton de Kock in the first game.
The opening batsman started in an extremely cautious and watchful manner but then completely changed gears after the drinks interval.
He brought up a half-century in the first session itself as he stitched together a 98-run stand with Cameron Bancroft. The southpaw eventually perished in the second session for 63 after being castled by Lungi Ngidi but his determined innings was a splendid one considering the circumstances.
Warner showed a cool head on his way to a fluent half-century.
RABADA’S FIERY SPELL BREAKS AUSSIE MIDDLE-ORDER
The visitors were well placed at 161-3 with skipper Steve Smith looking in ominous form in the company of Shaun Marsh as tea approached on day one. In the third-to-last over of the lunch session, Kagiso Rabada had Smith caught plumb in front of the wickets with an in-swinging delivery to give the Proteas a small opening.
What he would do in his next over and the final one before tea, could well be the defining moments of the match. Coming around the wicket to a well-set Shaun Marsh, he swung the ball in sharply to trap the left-hander on the pads.
Three deliveries later, he had the junior Marsh, Mitchell, caught behind by De Kock with the help of some prodigious reverse-swing. Rabada then had Pat Cummins nicking behind to the wicket-keeper the very first ball after tea before Mitchell Starc prevented him from grabbing a sensational hat-trick.
Starc however, could do nothing about Rabada’s delivery a few overs later as a late out-swinger clipped the top of his off-stump.
In the space of just 18 deliveries, the Proteas youngster had a five-wicket haul and Australia had collapsed to 182-8.
A five-wicket haul in just 18 deliveries for the South African.
RABADA WALKS ON THIN ICE
The South Africa pace spearhead has always been an aggressive customer with the ball in hand with his past send-offs to batsmen and transgressions earning him three demerit points from the ICC in the process.
That means that the 22-year-old is just another demerit point away from gathering an automatic one Test or two ODIs/T20is suspension, depending on whichever comes first.
After dismissing the Australia skipper, a clearly pumped-up Rabada gave him an aggressive send-off, bumping his shoulder as the batsman walked past him. It might well have been the nature of the overzealous celebration from Rabada that Smith opted to review the lbw decision even though the ball looked like it was crashing into middle-stump from the naked eye.
Replays confirmed that it was indeed an extremely hopeful review from the Aussie skipper but Rabada could very well be walking a tight-rope. A suspension could well be on the cards if the match-referee takes umbrage to the fiery celebration.
Rabada’s send-off for Smith could well land him in trouble.
PAINE MAKES AUSTRALIA’S TAIL WAG
Having put Australia on the ropes at 182-8 after Rabada’s sublime spell of bowling, South Africa might well come to rue the fact that they allowed the visitors to add 61 runs more to the total.
Aussie wicket-keeper Tim Paine has been chipping in with handy cameos for some time now and he did it once again on Friday. It was his rearguard action in the company of Nathan Lyon first and then Josh Hazlewood that allowed Australia to register a competitive first-innings score.
Their performance highlighted the gap between the tails of both sides, with the Aussies coming out well on top. In the previous Test, the visitors had claimed the last five wickets of South Africa for under six runs in both innings.
Australia’s tail added some vital runs in the context of the game.
