Perth - Mitchell Starc required just four balls of this opening Test to send a chill down the Proteas’ spines after Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat.
Starc, who missed the ODI whitewash in South Africa last month, delivered a cracking ball to luckless Proteas’ opener Stephen Cook. Bowling at high pace - Starc’s opening over was timed at nothing less than 140km/h - the left-armer managed one to shape away from Cook just enough to induce the outside edge that flew head high to Mitchell Marsh in the gully.
Due to the good bounce this WACA pitch was offering, Marsh had to fling himself acrobatically to his left with both feet off the ground to pull off a breathtaking catch.
After all the criticism the home team have endured recently due to the Test and ODI hammerings they have received in Sri Lanka and South Africa respectively, it was just the boost Steve Smith’s side required to get the WACA crowd firmly behind them in this encounter.
The partisan home support were in full voice just a couple of overs later again when another returnee, Josh Hazlewood, claimed the massive scalp of South Africa’s premier batsman, Hashim Amla.
Amla, too, fell for a duck when he played inside the line of a good delivery from Hazlewood that nibbled outside the off stump. With Amla pushing forward, the ball clipped the outside edge and flew at a comfortable height to captain Steve Smith at second slip who claimed the catch.
Hazlewood caused further damage when Dean Elgar failed to get his bat out of the way in time after another delivery that held its line just long enough to get the outside edge. South Africa were reeling at 20/3 and it was certainly not the start the visitors would have hoped for after skipper Du Plessis had earlier asked the Australians to bowl.
This decision was probably made due to the selection of the Dolphins’ left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. The 26-year-old debutant will form part of a Protea attack consisting of pacemen Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada, with the brains trust resisting the temptation to include Morne Morkel upon his return to the squad from a long-term back injury.
Australia named their team on Wednesday, with the experienced Peter Siddle edging out Joe Mennie in the final XI.
TEAMS FOR THE WACA
Australia: David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.
South Africa: Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj.
IOL