Australia take control against South Africa behind veteran brilliance
Steve Smith and Australia's legendary pace quartet seized control of the opening Test against South Africa in Durban on day three.
Australia's modern Test side remains a fascinating subject of discussion, with critics often debating the age of their experienced core. However, on day three of the first Test in Durban, the tourists took firm control over South Africa in an all-too-familiar fashion.
Nine years after first appearing together, the legendary bowling quartet of Mitchell Stark, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon combined once more to dismiss South Africa for 284. Captain Cummins led the attack with three wickets, while Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon claimed two scalps apiece.
Earlier, South Africa had progressed comfortably to 82-1 in response to Australia's first-innings total of 390. Aiden Markram and David Bedingham stitched together a promising second-wicket partnership that scored at nearly 4.5 runs per over on a relatively good surface.
Skipper Cummins responded by turning to Australia's trusted formula around the 20-over mark, deploying Lyon from one end while rotating his fast bowlers at the other. By pulling back their lengths and starving the batters of boundary options, the pace trio forced mistakes as Markram and Bedingham edged behind for 37 and 49 respectively.
Wiaan Mulder fell to a hostile bouncer from Cummins, and Tristan Stubbs top-edged an attempted pull shot down to fine leg. Later, Marco Jansen attempted to pull Hazlewood from a fuller length and was comfortably caught at mid-off, rounding off a disciplined bowling display.
At the other end, off-spinner Lyon tied down one end by bowling 19 overs at less than three runs per over on a wearing pitch. His control was complemented by the brilliance of Steve Smith in the slip cordon.
Smith pulled off two remarkable catches to dismiss Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne, anticipating their reverse-sweep attempts with lightning reflexes. He also claimed a sharp catch at second slip to dismiss Bedingham off Cummins, taking his career tally to 223 catches as a non-wicketkeeper and moving past Joe Root in Test history.
With Australia reaching 33-0 in their second innings and holding a 139-run lead, the visitors are well-positioned to press home their advantage over the final two days of the Test match.