First Test, Durban (third day from fifth day)
Australia 390 and 33-0: Maddinson 17*
South Africa 284: Bedingham 49; Cummins 3-54
Australia lead by 139 runs
Account card
Australia’s modern Test side remains an interesting side to pick.
Despite a 4-1 victory in England, viewed by many as being there to host the Ashes last winter, they were labeled too old by many observers at home.
Victims of recent shock defeats by West Indies and Bangladesh, they are still unbeaten in the past nine Test series.
But while their struggling batting line-up was rescued by Matt Renshaw on the first two days of the first Test in Durban, they controlled South Africa in all too familiar fashion on the third day.
Nine years after they first appeared together as Australia’s bowling quartet, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon delivered their final ruthless performance to bowl South Africa out for 284. Even Steve Smith had some magic.
Cummins took three wickets, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon each, dispelling any doubts about their effectiveness at the start of the Tests against the world Test champions against New Zealand, India and England.