Australia overpower South Africa in 1st Test: Key stats
Australia thrashed South Africa by six wickets in the opening Test of the three-match series at the Gabba. Interestingly, the match ended on Day 2 itself. Resuming from 145/5, the hosts raced to 218, riding on Travis Head's whirlwind innings. Later, an all-round show by the Aussie bowlers laid the foundation for a match-winning show. We look at the key stats.
How did the match pan out?
Australia bundled out SA on 152 after bowling first. Nathan Lyon (3/14) and Mitchell Starc (3/41) were the architects of the same. Kyle Verreynne (64) kept the score ticking for the visitors. In response, Australia hammered 218, riding on Head's 92. Pat Cummins shone with a five-fer to fold SA (99). Later, the Aussie batters guided them to win despite surviving initial blows (35/4).
Verreynne-Bavuma kept the fight intact against Australia
SA were reduced to 27/4 in the first innings. Verreynne and Temba Bavuma pulled the visitors out of their misery, stitching a pivotal 98-run stand for the fifth wicket. The pair piloted SA to 125/5 before Bavuma was bowled out by Starc. As per ESPNcricinfo, SA (152) recorded their eighth-lowest total in an innings against Australia in Australia in Tests.
Maiden Test fifty for Verreynne
Verreynne's gutsy show put the Aussies on the back foot in the first innings. The wicket-keeper batter smacked 64 off 96 deliveries, hitting eight fours and a six. He clocked his maiden fifty. Verreynne, however, failed to open his account in the second innings as he edged Scott Boland straight to slips. He has now raced to 468 runs at 27.52 (100s: 1).
Head attains these numbers
Head posted another sublime act to put Australia in the driver's seat. The southpaw struck 92 off 96 deliveries (4s: 13, 6s: 1), thereby ensuring that the hosts have a 60-plus run lead heading into the second innings. He clocked his 10th Test fifty. He also breached the 2,000-run mark (2,005) in Tests while playing his 31st match. Head, however, recorded a duck later.
Rabada, Jansen wreak havoc at the Gabba
Kagiso Rabada tormented the Aussies all throughout the opening Test. The right-armer pocketed a four-fer across both innings (8 scalps). He has raced to 265 scalps at 22.12. He pipped bowling legends, namely West Indies' Joel Garner (259), Australia's Jason Gillespie (259), and Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria (261). Left-armer Marco Jansen grabbed a three-fer to tally 40 wickets in eight Tests at 18.00.
Starc completes 300 Test scalps
Starc clipped five wickets in the concluded Test (3/41 and 2/26). The left-arm quick has now breached the 300-wicket mark (301) at 27.20. He has become only the seventh Aussie bowler to attain the feat in Tests. Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563), Lyon (454), Dennis Lillee (355), Mitchell Johnson (313), and Brett Lee (310) are the others to do so.
Interesting record from the match
As per ESPNcricinfo, this was only the second instance of a Test finishing within two days in Australia. The previous instance took place in 1932 in Melbourne, with South Africa on the receiving end there as well. Batting first, SA perished after scoring 36. In reply, Australia racked up 153. SA were bowled out for 45 to suffer an innings defeat.
Cummins, Lyon attain these numbers
Lyon grabbed figures worth 3/14 and 1/17 at the Gabba. The off-spinner raced to 454 scalps in Test cricket at 31.56. Cummins snared seven wickets in the match (2/35 and 5/42). He notched his eighth fifer in Tests. He now has 209 scalps at 21.15.
