Batters step up to give Australia command in Cape Town Test
While the honours were shared in the first two sessions, Australia pulled away in the final session with a century stand
Australia's entire batting unit, barring Marnus Labuschagne, made significant contributions to give their side the upper hand in the final Test in Cape Town.
Following a see-saw opening day, honours were shared once again in the morning session and in the post-lunch session. However, a century partnership in the final session between Josh Inglis and Alex Carey firmly swung the contest in favour of the visitors who managed to go past South Africa's first innings total right at the end in the final over of the day's play.
The day kickstarted with a session that swung both ways, just like the opening day did. Matt Renshaw, who was pushed up the order to open the batting, sliced one past gully in the very first over to get off the mark. At the other end, Travis Head got going with a boundary off Kagiso Rabada. Australia's openers made a confident start with both Rabada and the newly crowned No.1 bowler and allrounder Marco Jansen struggling to find the breakthrough with the brand new cherry.
Gerald Coetzee, playing a Test match after almost two years, bowled at a very high pace to pose some questions but Head eventually got on top of the bowler with successive boundaries to bring up the half-century stand. Finally after the drinks break, the home side managed to break the partnership with the introduction of Simon Harmer. The spinner's very first ball resulted in a wicket as Head chopped one onto his stumps to fall for 41. It was double delight for South Africa as Harmer struck again in the same over to get rid of Labuschagne who edged one to slip to depart for a duck.
After a nervy start, Cameron Green found some rhythm on the back of a couple of boundaries off Wiaan Mulder and even finished the morning session with a boundary. In terms of the output, the second session was almost a mirror reflection of the first. While Australia lost two wickets for 90 in the morning, they lost two more for the addition of 101 in the afternoon. Renshaw and Green kickstarted the session with a boundary each off Rabada. Soon after, Green pulled Rabada off successive deliveries, fetching a six on both occasions and followed it up with a four to stamp his authority.
Both batters brought up their respective half-centuries in the same over as the partnership grew in strength. Eventually, the pair added over 100 for the third wicket to turn the tide. But in what has been a recurring theme in this Test match, the momentum flipped in a matter of two overs. Jansen came back into the attack and removed both the set batters to rattle Australia. Renshaw attempted to take on a short ball and ramp it over the keeper, only to feather it. Green then edged the pacer to the lone slip fielder as South Africa clawed their way back just before the Tea break.
Josh Inglis and Alex Carey then began the final session with watchful eyes given the implications it could have on the fate of the Test match. But once the two batters got through to the drinks break without any damage, they grew in confidence. Inglis stepped down the track to Harmer to smash him for a six that kickstarted a boundary-spree for the batter. In desperate search of a wicket given the partnership had gone past 100, South Africa took the new ball immediately once it became available but the pair stood firm, while also edging closer to the South African total. Inglis then fetched back-to-back boundaries in the penultimate over of the day and Carey added one more in the same over to become the fourth Australian batter to go past fifty in the day. Quite fittingly, with just two balls left in the day, Australia managed to officially grab the first innings lead as well.
Brief scores: Australia 330/4 (Josh Inglis 85*, Matt Renshaw 74, Cameron Green 65; Marco Jansen 2-37) lead South Africa 329 by 1 run
