AUS vs SA, 1st Test: Hosts dictate Day 1 proceedings
Australia floored South Africa on Day 1 of the first Test at the Gabba. Electing to bowl, the hosts folded SA on 152. Spinner Nathan Lyon and pacer Mitchell Starc claimed three-fers each. For SA, wicket-keeper batter Kyle Verreynne was a massive plus as he racked up a counter-attacking fifty. SA, however, crawled back into the game later on. Australia trail by seven runs.
Aussie bowlers run riot at the Gabba
Starc stunned rival skipper Dean Elgar to get the first breakthrough in the fifth over. Cummins bowled just outside off but enough to tempt Rassie van der Dussen. Scott Boland uprooted both Sarel Erwee and Khaya Zondo in the 11th over. Lyon (3/14) and Starc (3/41) floored the middle and lower order, while Pat Cummins (2/35) folded SA with the dismissal of Lungi Ngidi.
Verreynne puts up a gutsy show
Verreynne belted a four and a six off Cameron Green in the 14th over. He survived a run out scare in the 20th over and made it count. Verreynne struck a four off Cummins to bring up his maiden fifty in Tests. He hammered a four off Lyon before edging a delivery outside off to conclude his stay in the middle.
Verreynne-Bavuma keep the Aussies at a bay
SA were reduced to 27/4 within 11 overs. The duo of 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.
12th duck for Warner in Tests
David Warner was out on the very first delivery of the innings by Kagiso Rabada. The southpaw clocked his 12th duck in Tests. It was his first duck against the Proteas, while it was his fifth in Australia in Test cricket.
Head shines with a blistering 78*
Travis Head is making the most of his red-hot form. The middle-order batter scored 78* off 77 deliveries, striking 13 fours and a six. The southpaw piloted the hosts to 145/5 in 33.1 overs. He will seek his sixth Test ton on Day 2.
South Africa end Day 1 on a positive note
SA seamers got more than a desirable start with a wicket of Warner on the very first ball. Marco Jansen got the better of an in-form Marnus Labuschagne (11), while Anrich Nortje trumped Usman Khawaja (11) and Steve Smith (36) to put the visitors at an advantage. Boland (1), who was sent as the nightwatchman, edged Rabada to call the stumps on Day 1.
