Australia flops to leave Proteas in control

Faced with the mammoth South Africa’s first innings score of 488, Australia made a complete mess of it as they dished out a cricketing equivalent of stage performers fluffing their lines and then running back stage embarrassed to leave behind a perplexed audience.

By the 13th over, they had already lost the wickets of Matt Renshaw, Joe Burns and Peter Handscomb for only 38 runs and they never recovered.

When umpires called stumps on day two on Saturday, Australia were in serious trouble on 110/6 after 38 overs and trailing South Africa by a further 378 runs with stand-in captain Tim Paine on 5 and Pat Cummins on 7.

Paine and Cummings will have to somehow to find a way to deal with this rampant South African bowling attack of Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Maharaj.

The first wicket to fall was Burns (4) when he was caught by Du Plessis at second slip from the bowling of Rabada and he was followed by Renshaw (8) who was caught behind by Quinton de Kock from Philander.

It was only going to be difficult for Burns and Renshaw, who are in the starting line-up because of banned ball- temperers Cameron Bancroft and David Warner, as they have never faced a ball in South Africa before.

Then Peter Handscomb was the third to depart for a golden duck after he was bowled by Philander to leave Australia in heaps of trouble as they still trailed South Africa by over 400 runs.

Khawaja, who scored his 12th half century and shared a promising partnership of 52 with Shaun Marsh, was the next victim after he was caught by De Kock from Philander and Morkel and Maharaj were responsible for the late scalps of Mitchell and Shaum Marsh respectively in quick succession.

Before Australia took to the crease, Proteas were bowled out for 488 with Temba Bavuma unfortunate to be left stranded five runs shy of his second Test century as he watched helplessly De Kock (39), Philander (12), Maharaj (45) and Morkel (0) fall on the other side.

Though Bavuma missed out on his second ton, his patient innings of 95 off 194, which included thirteen boundaries, was enjoyable to watch.

For the Australians, their star bowler was Pat Cummins who returned with first innings five wicket haul and Philander was the pick of the South African bowlers with figures of 3/17 after 12 overs.

Rabada, Morkel and Maharaj ended with one wicket apiece but they still have time to stamp their authority on this match.