Australia eked out just 63 runs in the middling session of the first Test against South Africa, as they reached 175 for six, at tea on the third day in Durban.
South Africa, who are still staring down a massive deficit by day’s end, were terrific in the second session, showing that Australia will still have to fight to seal victory at Kingsmead. Dean Elgar, who has a bit of golden arm, helped himself to the big scalp of Steve Smith, trapping the Aussie skipper in front for 38.
Kagiso Rabada then had the dangerous Mitchell Marsh snaffled at slip by Hashim Amla for 6, before the evergreen Keshav Maharaj again signalled a break by taking another wicket. This time, he got Tim Paine to nick one through to slip, where AB de Villiers took a rolling catch.
The South Africans had been frustrated by several near calls, with the ‘umpire’s call’ denying them two close calls. But they would have been chuffed with their sincerity of their efforts between lunch and tea.