From BBC Sport · · 2m
Cummins' gamble backfires as Australia fights back on day one
Pat Cummins chose to bowl in Cape Town and watched South Africa pile on runs, but his bowlers staged a dramatic afternoon fightback to limit the damage.
In brief
Pat Cummins chose to bowl in Cape Town and watched South Africa pile on runs, but his bowlers staged a dramatic afternoon fightback to limit the damage. Australia captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl at the toss in Cape Town, but after a poor start, his bowlers fought back to restrict South Africa to three hundred…
Cummins chooses to bowl
Australia captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl first at the toss in Cape Town on October twenty-seventh, saying he felt moisture in the wicket would help his attack.
“It feels like there's a bit of moisture in the wicket so we will have first use of it”
South Africa dominates the morning
South Africa's openers plundered Australia's bowling in the first session, with Marques Ackerman and Aiden Markram building a partnership as Australia leaked more than four runs per over.
Markram and others fall to short balls
Aiden Markram was out for seventy-eight attempting to take on short balls. David Bedingham fell for fifty and Wiaan Mulder for nought, all trying to hook the short delivery.
Ackerman and Bavuma depart
Marques Ackerman ran past one from Nathan Lyon on ninety-five, missing his first Protea century. Captain Temba Bavuma was undone by a straight ball from Lyon.
Starc's devastating spell with new ball
Mitchell Starc took four wickets in six deliveries with the new ball, removing Ryan Rickelton for forty-two, Marco Jansen for fifty-two, and bowling Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada for ducks.
South Africa finishes on three twenty-nine
South Africa were all out for three hundred twenty-nine, with Starc's late onslaught preventing them from finishing the day in a stronger position at three twenty-seven for six.
Australia's batting concerns remain
Australia's batting line-up is weakened by Steve Smith's injury, Nic Maddinson being sent home after two Tests, and Josh Inglis and Cameron Green having not faced red ball cricket competitively since March and August respectively.
Cummins risks joining unwanted club
Cummins' decision to bowl could see him join captains like Ricky Ponting, who chose to bowl at Edgbaston in two thousand five when Glenn McGrath was injured, a decision still remembered.
Australia must bat well to recover
Australia's bowlers have given them a chance by restricting South Africa, but their batters must now prove they can handle the challenge to avoid Cummins' toss decision becoming a costly mistake.
The one thing
Australia captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl at the toss in Cape Town, but after a poor start, his bowlers fought back to restrict South Africa to three hundred twenty-nine all out.
