Australia has claimed a dominant place early on day two of their opening Test in opposition to South Africa, shortly shifting previous the vacationer’s first innings complete of 152.
Travis Head fell wanting a well-deserved century as Australia constructed their lead in heat situations on the Gabba, however issues stay concerning the type of David Warner – and his worrying stoop.
Australian legend Mark Waugh believes Warner wants to search out some runs in a rush, as a result of because it stands his place within the Australian workforce within the close to future is ‘in doubt’.
12.35PM: WICKET! STARC FALLS TO FREAK CATCH
What a CATCH! Lungi Ngidi has taken a belter of a caught-and-bowled to take away the harmful Mitchell Starc for 14.
Australia’s lead is now 61… with two wickets remaining, and Alex Carey the primary man. Obviously Pat Cummins is aggressive with the bat, so there’s nonetheless runs available for Australia’s tail if they’ll grasp round with Carey.
But Starc’s keep within the center is over. He pops up a low return providing to Ngidi, a giant man it have to be stated, however the fast is ready to get down low and get his huge arms below the possibility close to his ankles.
That’s a extremely spectacular take and offers South Africa a much-needed increase.
12.20PM: AUSTRALIA PASS 200 AS LEAD GROWS
After a flurry of pleasure, care of a double-wicket over to Marco Jansen, Australia has obtained again into the groove this morning.
With Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc main the cost now, Australia has moved previous 200 with three wickets in hand – and a first-innings lead of fifty.
How a lot can the Australian tail wag? Every run from right here on is like gold mud for Pat Cummins’ males.
11.50AM: WICKET! ANOTHER! HEAD FALLS SHORT OF TON
The wickets are tumbling as soon as once more. It’s a repeat of yesterday when 15 wickets fell – and this time it’s Travis Head who has to go, after a contentious overview.
Head will get a faint contact down the legside from a Marco Jansen quick ball, earlier than instantly reviewing.
It briefly seems to be like he would possibly survive – nothing comes up on hotspot – however there’s a faint spike because the ball passes the glove and that’s sufficient to verify the on-field resolution.
He departs for 92 – eight wanting a well-deserved century.
11.48AM: WICKET! GREEN CAMEO COMES TO AN END
Well, that’s a commentator’s curse from me!
Cameron Green was flaying boundaries all over, however he’s bitten off a bit an excessive amount of – and flashes at a large supply from Jansen. It was there to be hit, however Green will get the thick edge.
It was too scorching to deal with for Maharaj at third slip, however he does sufficient to parry it skyward and Sarel Erwee has sufficient time to make his manner throughout from first slip to make a pleasant catch.
Green goes for 18, with Australia main by 29.
11.45AM: GREEN, HEAD PILE ON PAIN
We’re not even half an hour into day two and it seems to be just like the life has already been squeezed out of South Africa.
While Travis Head marches on in direction of one other century (passing 2000 Test runs alongside the way in which this morning), Cameron Green is opening his broad shoulders and placing in a knock that’s ripping the competition away from South Africa.
Green has pounded 4 boundaries to race to a run-a-ball 18, as Australia go about constructing a first-innings lead.
They’ve added 33 runs at slightly below six runs an over up to now this morning, to provide them a 26-run lead with 5 wickets remaining.
11.25AM: AUSTRALIA MOVE PAST SOUTH AFRICA
It took simply 4 deliveries this morning for Australia to wipe out the remaining run deficit, having began the day seven runs behind South Africa’s first innings complete of 152.
Cameron Green punched a superb off drive to the boundary off Kagiso Rabada to sign his intent for the day.
Travis Head, who began the day unbeaten on 78, has one other century in his sights whereas Australia will probably be eager to pile on the runs and bat South Africa out of the competition.
There’s additionally an incredible alternative for Green to get his summer season going after watching the highest order occupy the crease for a lot of the West Indies sequence. He’s began promisingly, with a pair of boundaries in opposition to Rabada.
11.05AM: WARNER’S TEST FUTURE ‘IN DOUBT’ AMID FORM SLUMP
Veteran opener David Warner’s Test future is unsure, in keeping with Australian legend Mark Waugh because the under-fire star battles a contemporary type stoop.
Warner, one in all Australia’s best ever batsmen, hasn’t scored a Test century since January 2020 and was blasted out for a golden duck by Kagiso Rabada on day one on the Gabba – elevating questions on whether or not his time within the dishevelled inexperienced is coming to an finish.
He’s but to register a half-century this summer season, and has handed 50 simply twice in 2022, which all places him below strain to show issues round in a rush in keeping with Waugh.
But it was the character of Warner’s dismissal on Saturday – overwhelmed by tempo from a vicious Rabada bouncer – which involved Waugh probably the most.
“The signs weren’t good there with the technique. I do think the quicker bowlers worry him. But just the way he got out is a concern for me,” Waugh informed Fox Cricket.
“I think he’s lacking in confidence… he needs some runs in the next couple of Test matches to keep being picked in the Test team.
“It doesn’t matter who you are: your job as a batsman is to make runs. He’ll be given a bit of leeway because of his record and who he is, but how much leeway do you keep giving a batsman?
“The selectors would want to see him make some runs in the next couple of Test matches otherwise his Test future would have to be in doubt.”
10.45AM: STARC’S CRUEL MILESTONE BLOW
Mitchell Starc is on the verge of becoming a member of one of the crucial elite teams in Australian cricket – the 300 membership.
And for a short second yesterday, he thought he was about to develop into Australia’s seventh Test bowler to take 300 wickets. Only for Travis Head to provide you with the one blot on his copybook yesterday.
Before he revived Australia’s batting with an outstanding counter-attacking knock, Head spilled a troublesome likelihood at bat-pad that may’ve given Starc his milestone wicket.
The catch went in, then out, after which hit the turf leaving Starc stranded on 299 going into the second innings in opposition to South Africa.
“He had a few cracks at it. (The 300th wicket) will come when it comes,” Starc informed Fox Cricket.
“It’s been an enjoyable journey. We’ll forgive Heady if he keeps going with the bat as he is.”
10.15am – AUSSIES’ PLAN TO CRUSH PROTEAS
Australia resume in a really sturdy place – they path South Africa’s first innings by simply seven runs, with Travis Head unbeaten on 78 and eyeing off one other Test century this summer season.
Head added 117 with Steve Smith yesterday to place Australia properly on prime after three periods, however with the solar out on the Gabba immediately it seems to be like batting situations might be at their greatest.
Head might want to mix with Cameron Green, who will come to the crease after nightwatchman Scott Boland’s dismissal closed play yesterday, and Alex Carey in a bid to bat South Africa out of the competition.
A lead of something north of 100 runs will seem like an unlimited mountain to climb for South Africa and what seems to be like a reasonably feeble batting lineup.
However if Rabada, Nortje and Jansen can regroup and knock over the ultimate 5 wickets with out an excessive amount of injury – then benefit from the higher batting situations this afternoon – we might have a sport on our arms.
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TEAMMATE’S SCARY PREMONITION OF WORLD-BEATER HEAD
This Test is the one-year anniversary of Alex Carey forecasting his mate Travis Head would develop into one of many world’s greatest batsmen.
It appeared a tad untimely for a participant who a number of months earlier had misplaced his Cricket Australia contract but it surely’s time to provide the fortune teller his due.
In consecutive Gabba Tests the free-spirited Head has taken a century off England after which handled the adorned South African assault as if they’re park bowlers.
He might have floundered in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in between however his greatest work in Australia actually is uncommon air.
Head has all the time been an fascinating case research, partially as a result of South Australia has over the previous a long time produced three left-handed stroke-players – Darren Lehmann, Wayne Phillips and David Hookes – who performed lower than 30 Tests every for various causes regardless of being gamers of remarkable expertise.
Head, for a number of years seen as a flighty fringe participant, has by some means managed to crack the Test match code on residence shores.
The nationwide selectors have all the time appreciated Head however they had been by no means positive how one can get one of the best from him.
Some folks have stated his beautiful type surge proves he ought to by no means have misplaced his Cricket Australia contract – others who know him properly say it was the making of him.
COOL SKIPPER
Pat Cummins’ easy transition to the Test captaincy has left Australia to ask itself whether or not it’s been seduced by pretend logic for 145 years.
That lengthy held concept that bowlers had been too busy to run the workforce meant that earlier than Cummins took, Ray Lindwall – in a single Test solely – was the one different specialist quick man to steer as Australian Test workforce.
Cummins biggest challenges are forward with sequence in opposition to India and England however
however there’s a calm resilience on this workforce and Cummins had no qualms in difficult conference by bowling first on the Gabba.
There appears little doubt that Cummins encouragement of Head to play his pure sport has helped him play with uplifting freedom.
You marvel what different quick bowlers might have supplied as Test leaders had they not been discarded due to the “batsman are greatest’’ concept.
The nice Keith Miller was snubbed as a result of he was deemed too vibrant off the sector however was adored by his fellow gamers who loved enjoying below him at state stage.
Geoff Lawson was by no means near captaining Australia but he was probably the most progressive Sheffield Shield captain of the Eighties and would have been an fascinating alternative if ever Allan Border had been injured.
Lindwall obtained one Test as skipper. His mates reckon he might simply have achieved the job full-time.
UNLEASH THE BEAST
Occasional movie producer Kagiso Rabada not too long ago did a film known as Ring of Beasts then, for one dramatic ball, grew to become one on the Gabba.
Bowlers have been making an attempt to tuck up David Warner with quick stuff for years however he’s so fast and evasive that until you land it on the pin level, you pay.
But Rabada at his greatest is subsequent stage. He was clearly a person with a plan.
He warmed up strongly and arrowed his first ball straight on the physique the place Warner’s ft got here off the bottom, his hand got here off the bat and his eye got here off the ball as he fended to quick leg who was on purple alert for exactly that shot.
Someone within the press field exclaimed “it was a extremely robust one to get first up however you do get these ones first up.’’
South Africa have their plan for the sequence for Warner now.
Opening the batting is a brutal skilled and Warner’s current modest type will imply at age 36 he’s on trial for his future within the remaining two Tests of the sequence.
Batsmen can age shortly in opposition to specific tempo however Warner is a famend scrapper. Great challenges await in opposition to a superb South African tempo assault – not merely for Warner however everybody.
Originally printed as Australia v South Africa: Follow all of the motion from day 2 on the Gabba
