South Africa vs Australia 2018: 4th Test, Day 3, Talking points

Resuming their innings at 110/6, Australia scored 221 as Pat Cummins and Tim Paine registered fifties. Keshav Maharaj, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada shared three wickets each while Morne Morkel who suffered a side strain mid-way through the first session picked up the other wicket.

South Africa batted again and Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis got starts as South Africa reached 134/3 at the end of the third day’s play. Ab de Villiers had a rare failure as he was dismissed for just 6 runs. However, the lead has gone past 400 and South Africa are in total control of this Test match.

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#5 Tim Paine and Pat Cummins put on a fighting stand

When the day started, Australia were 110/6 and were staring down the barrel. Skipper Tim Paine and Pat Cummins were at the crease. Tim Paine had rescued Australia on a few occasions this summer, but this was going to be difficult. All those rescue acts had come while Australia batted first. Here, Australia were 378 runs behind and the pressure was very different.

Moreover, he suffered a hairline fracture but continued batting. He fought hard along with Cummins. They frustrated the South African bowlers as they scored at a good clip. In fact, Cummins was the main contributor to the 99-run partnership.

Paine attacked Maharaj and didn’t allow the left-arm spinner to settle. Cummins also found the boundary with ease. He too scored a couple of fours and a six in one over against Maharaj.

But the defiant partnership was brought to an end right after Cummins got to his fifty. Maharaj who was taken for runs had the final laugh as he dismissed the Aussie with a quick LBW which was given out on review.

#4 Morne Morkel suffers side strain in his farewell Test

Morne Morkel suffered a left side strain and stopped mid-way through his 13th over

At the start of this series against Australia, Morne Morkel had revealed that this would be his last series. He cited the ‘demanding schedule’ and his family as the reasons for his retirement. In the Test series against India, he looked in good rhythm and took 13 wickets in 3 games.

In the series opener against Australia in Durban, he had an off-game as he took only 3 wickets in two innings as South Africa lost the Test match. Lungi Ngidi’s good show in Port Elizabeth made it tougher for Morkel to comeback. But Ngidi’s injury paved the way for the 32-year-old tall pacer to comeback. He responded with a match-winning haul of 9/110 in the match helping South Africa take a 2-1 series lead.

On what was expected to be a grand farewell for Morkel, he is already having a torrid time in this Test match. He got out for a first-ball duck which left Temba Bavuma stranded on 95. He started well with the ball and looked in decent rhythm. He also picked up the wicket of Mitchell Marsh.

However, in his 13th over of the innings, he pulled up and felt some pain in his left leg. He walked up to Faf du Plessis and must have said that he cannot continue. Thus, he took his cap and walked away.

That was a very disappointing and unfortunate way to end a spell, especially in his final Test match. It was later revealed that he had a side strain. He was seen stretching and doing some warm-ups during the lunch break. He also tried to bowl a few deliveries testing his left side.

It is a similar injury which he picked up in the first Test against Bangladesh in October last year which kept him out for almost 3 months.

#3 Rabada, Maharaj clean up the lower-order to help South Africa gain a 267-run lead

Rabada and Maharaj took the last 4 Australian wickets

Australia were fighting back well. After being 96/6, Tim Paine and Pat Cummins were batting well and had blunted the South African attack well. They stitched a defiant 99-run stand before Keshav Maharaj dismissed Cummins. The left-arm spinner caught Cummins right in front and was out LBW.

The Paine-Cummins duo had defied the South African attack for about an hour and 45 minutes. But once the Australian pacer was dismissed, Maharaj and Rabada ran through the lower-order. Rabada dismissed Lyon and skipper Paine who scored 62, while Maharaj took the wicket of Chadd Sayers apart from Cummins’.

The last four Australian wickets fell for 26 runs and conceded a massive 267-run lead.

#2 Aiden Markram breaches the 1000-run mark; breaks multiple records

Markram has had a wonderful debut season

Aiden Markram has had a superb summer. He started off with a bang. He had scores of 97, 15, 143 and 125 in his first three Tests against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He had a sedate series against India but came into his own in this series. He has scored two centuries and an 84 against a top quality Australian attack.

After scoring 152 in the first innings of this Test, he got another start as he scored 37 and was dismissed by Pat Cummins for the second time in this Test. However, he broke multiple records on his way to 37.

He became the second-fastest South African (in terms of innings) to get to 1000 Test runs. He took only 186 days from his debut to register 1000 Test runs (second on the list of fewest days to 1000 runs). He also became the second batsman after Michael Hussey to amass 1000 runs in his debut season.

#1 Australia staring at a huge target as South Africa stretch lead to 401

Elgar and du Plessis fought hard after South Africa lost 2 quick wickets

With a lead of 267 runs, South Africa opted against enforcing the follow-on. Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar began on a positive note as the opening duo added 54 in 18 overs. Markram contributed 37 in that partnership as Elgar looked solid in defence and held one end up.

Pat Cummins then bowled a superb delivery to dismiss the first innings centurion before he came back and got rid of the dangerous AB de Villiers after tea. In between those two wickets, Amla was out to Lyon as the off-spinner got one to turn and bounce and the South African No. 3 was caught at leg-slip.

At 94/3, Faf du Plessis joined Dean Elgar in the middle and the two batsmen defended well as they stone-walled their way to see through the day without any damage. They shared a 40-run stand (in 130 balls).

Dean Elgar, in particular, played stoic innings as he scored 39 runs in 158 deliveries. Both of the batsmen also copped blows as well. Du Plessis was hit on the fingers which had him in a lot of pain.

The 40-run stand ensured no further damage was done and South Africa stretched their lead to 401 and Australia who look a little lost in the field are staring at a massive target in the fourth innings.