Pat Cummins claimed his first Test wicket as Australia struck twice after lunch to send South Africa to tea at 4-213 on day one of the second Test in Johannesburg.
South Africa were in trouble at 4-129 after 32 overs, with one of those wickets to fall after lunch going to debutant fast bowler Cummins (1-38 from 15).
The 18-year-old became the youngest Australian player since 1953 when presented with his baggy green by Ricky Ponting, and fittingly it was the former skipper who held onto a Hashim Amla (19 off 70) edge at second slip for Cummins' breakthrough scalp.
The crucial wicket of Jacques Kallis had fallen just three overs previous, when Peter Siddle had the all-time great caught at midwicket just one ball after he brought up 12,000 Test runs.
Kallis became the fourth player after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Ponting to reach the milestone on his way to a quickfire 54 from 41 balls.
However, despite the breaking of Kallis and Amla's 80-run partnership, Australia could not put the clamps on the South African first innings.
Australian vice-captain Shane Watson (1-13) is back on the field but unlikely to bowl after being after straining his right hamstring in his run-up and abandoning his fourth over with one ball remaining.
It is a massive body blow for the tourists, who already have Shaun Marsh back in Australia and Ryan Harris about to follow him after being scratched on Thursday morning before the commencement of play.
Further questions will now be asked about Watson's workload as an all-rounder.
The loss of Watson was exposed badly in the second session, with Michael Hussey asked to bowl four overs (0-10).
AB de Villiers (51 not out) and Ashwell Prince (34 not out) took advantage for an unbeaten 84-run partnership to have the home side in a steady position after 53 overs.
After losing the toss and being asked to bowl, Australia took two wickets in the morning, with South Africa 2-107 at lunch.
Harris was ruled out with a hip problem and will be flown home immediately.
Australia are fighting to square the series, after their eight-wicket humiliation against the Proteas in the first Test at Cape Town.
Under-presser left-armer Mitchell Johnson (1-67 from 16) claimed the early wicket of one of his great personal rivals, Graeme Smith (11) in just the seventh over, when Michael Clarke caught the Proteas captain caught at slip.
ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, south-africa First posted November 18, 2011 00:45:36
No comments:
Post a Comment