Aussies crash through Proteas top order

Oliver Caffrey | December 18, 2022

Australia have decimated South Africa’s top order for the second time in as many days with the Proteas slumping to 2-3 in the first Test at the Gabba.

South Africa still trail Australia by 63 runs after they started their second innings just before lunch on day two.

Star quick Mitchell Starc became just the seventh Australian to take 300 Test wickets when he bowled Proteas No.3 Rassie van der Dussen with a classic in-swinger.

The ball move significantly off the pitch to make it one of the best deliveries of Starc’s impressive international career.

Starc’s milestone followed Pat Cummins trapping Dean Elgar lbw for just two, making it a horror match for the South African captain after he scored three in the first innings.

Australia lost 5-73 before lunch to be all out for 218, giving them a 66-run first-innings lead.

After 15 wickets fell on Saturday, the game continued to move at a rapid rate as South Africa’s imposing pace attack quickly worked their way through Australia’s tail.

No.5 dasher Travis Head started the first session on 78 after an impressive counter-attacking knock late on day one, guiding Australia to 5-145 by stumps and within seven runs of South Africa’s 152.

But Head fell just short of a century in consecutive years at the Gabba after he was dismissed by giant left-arm paceman Marco Jansen for 92 on Sunday morning.

Young allrounder Cameron Green started in ominous fashion, middling three drives to the boundary, but was out to Jansen for 18 to continue his lean run.

Jansen made up for an ordinary innings with the bat to be the pick of the Proteas’ bowlers with figures of 3-32.

Star quick Kagiso Rabada was at his threatening and unpredictable best, expensive at times during the innings, but still finished with figures of 4-76.

Rabada set the tone for South Africa’s fightback, removing under-pressure David Warner for a golden duck and first ball of Australia’s innings.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey finished unbeaten on 22, while Steve Smith’s 38 was Australia’s best score after Head’s decisive knock.