(ESPNCRICINFO) – Pat Cummins and Steven Smith produced outstanding performances to overwhelm a lacklustre South Africa batting line-up on day three in Durban before new opener Nic Maddinson enjoyed a confidence boost as Australia gained a stranglehold of the opening Test.
After claiming a first-innings lead of 106 runs, Australia were 33 for no loss in their second innings with Maddinson unbeaten on 17 and Travis Head on 10. Only 5.4 overs were bowled in the innings before bad light stopped play for the third straight day.
When the innings started, all eyes were on Maddinson, who had a disastrous return to Test cricket with a 33-ball duck in the first innings. But he swaggered to the crease and cracked a pull shot to the boundary off Marco Jansen on the first ball of the innings – his first Test runs since December 29, 2016.
Maddinson, whose three previous Tests were all in late 2016, smashed another boundary later in the over before flicking Wiaan Mulder for six over deep square-leg.
Australia are in the box seat – which seemed unlikely when they struggled with the bat on the opening day – but will be wary of bad light potentially restricting days four and five too.
Brilliant bowling and fielding on day three suffocated South Africa, who appeared set to be bowled out before tea until a rearguard from Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer halted Australia’s push. They enjoyed a 52-run stand before Maharaj added to South Africa’s list of tame dismissals when he gifted Mitchell Starc a second wicket, hitting straight to cover.
Harmer and Anrich Nortje added a valuable 35 more for the tenth wicket to eat into the deficit but it wasn’t enough to mask a rough batting effort from South Africa, who lacked application and discipline in their first Test match in almost a year.
Cummins spearheaded Australia’s attack, consistently challenging the batters as he regularly hit speeds of 140kph and above. He finished with 3 for 54 from 15 overs, with all four frontline Australia bowlers taking at least two wickets.
Smith backed up the bowlers by claiming four catches, which lifted him past Joe Root for the most Test catches by a non-wicketkeeper.
His first three were sublime. With great anticipation, Smith moved into position to snare skipper Temba Bavuma, who had unfurled a reverse-sweep off Nathan Lyon. Smith then pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss David Bedingham, diving across first slip – it was the record No. 221 of his Test career. He saved his best for the third, again moving quickly as he plucked an outrageous one-handed catch off Kyle Verreynne’s attempted reverse-sweep off Lyon.
It was a disappointing batting display by South Africa, who started both sessions strongly before losing wickets in clumps. There was little resistance other than Bedingham and Aiden Markram’s 84-run second-wicket partnership, while Mulder and Tristan Stubbs put on 56 runs for the fifth wicket.
Bedingham seemed at ease after being elevated to No. 3, a position he had never previously batted at in Test cricket, but was left frustrated after falling for 49 – the top score in the innings.
