Australia wrapped up Day 3 of the first Test in Durban with a commanding 139-run lead over reigning World Test champions South Africa, shutting down the home side’s first innings for 284 runs. The Aussies are looking locked in, and they are already making the reigning champs sweat in this early tour match.
Cummins Leads the Charge as South Africa Crumbles
Pat Cummins was an absolute menace on the field, snatching three wickets for just 54 runs as Australia’s bowlers ripped through South Africa’s lineup. Mitchell Starc (2/63), Josh Hazlewood (2/54), and Nathan Lyon (2/58) weren’t far behind, each grabbing two wickets to share the load. David Bedingham tried to hold things together for South Africa, top-scoring with 49 off 73 balls, but even his efforts weren’t enough to withstand the Aussie onslaught. They were reeling at 197/8, and it felt like a total collapse was on the cards.
The Reigning Champs Can’t Find Their Footing
South Africa started Day 3 at 27/1, but things quickly went south. Aiden Markram put up 37 before Starc sent him back in the 21st over, edging one to slip. Captain Temba Bavuma only managed three runs, falling to Lyon attempting a reverse sweep, and Bedingham himself was eventually dismissed by Cummins, caught by Steve Smith. Cummins kept the pressure on, removing Wiaan Mulder for 30 and Tristan Stubbs for 32. Lyon then had Kyle Verreynne caught at slip for 13, and South Africa looked completely lost at 197/7. A brief moment of resistance came from Keshav Maharaj (34) and Simon Harmer (35*), who managed to add 52 runs for the ninth wicket to at least get past the follow-on mark before Starc finally dismissed Maharaj. Marco Jansen threw some quick runs on the board with 26 off 20 balls, but it was just a temporary reprieve. This is the reigning World Test champions we’re talking about, the team that beat Australia in the 2025 final, and they are getting absolutely pummeled right now.
Australia Already Building on the Momentum
Remember Australia’s first innings? They posted 390 runs, thanks to Matt Renshaw’s career-best 190 that rescued them from a shaky 124/6 start. Now, they’ve started their second innings strong, reaching 33/0 in just 5.4 overs before bad light forced an early end to play, costing nearly 13 overs. Nic Maddinson is unbeaten on 17, with Travis Head right there with him on 10. Australia’s first tour of the country since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal is off to a scorching start. Day 4 is going to be absolutely critical for South Africa if they want any chance of turning this around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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