Dinner South Africa 7 for 165 (Du Plessis 65*, Abbott 1*, Hazlewood 4-36) v Australia
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Brettig: Hazlewood showed why he loves the pink ball
Josh Hazlewood led a fine bowling display from Australia’s fast men on the first day in Adelaide, where the pink ball swung and South Africa’s batsmen struggled. Faf du Plessis was the main obstacle for Australia at the dinner break, having reached 65 not out, and he was alongside Kyle Abbott, who was on 1, and the total had moved on to 7 for 165 after du Plessis chose to bat.
Hazlewood picked up four wickets and Mitchell Starc collected two as the Australians enjoyed a productive two sessions, with all seven wickets having fallen to catches behind the wicket. However, Australia also faced the prospect that if they ran through South Africa’s tail quickly they would have to bat during the notoriously difficult twilight period.
The main partnership of note was a 51-run stand between du Plessis and Stephen Cook, which steadied the innings somewhat after South Africa wobbled to 3 for 44. But Cook, having reached 40 at the tea break, was unable to add to his score when play resumed and edged Starc to Steven Smith at second slip.
Earlier, Cook had been on the receiving end of some good fortune when he was trapped dead in front by Starc and given lbw only for a no-ball to be detected by the third umpire. Cook was on 4 at the time and used the reprieve to reach his highest score of the tour, rebuilding with du Plessis after Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy all fell with scores of 5.
The first breakthrough came in the seventh over of the match, when Elgar edged a swinging delivery off Starc and was snapped up at third slip by Usman Khawaja. Hazlewood then picked up the key wicket of Amla, whose edge was taken by debutant Matt Renshaw low to his right at first slip. Another of Australia’s five inclusions, Matthew Wade, took a regulation catch off Hazlewood when JP Duminy inside-edged.
The pink ball was swinging and Starc and Hazlewood in particular looked dangerous, while Nathan Lyon also found some turn and bounce. Jackson Bird, playing his first Test since the tour of New Zealand in February, struggled to find his rhythm early and leaked runs, but improved during the second session and was rewarded when Temba Bavuma edged behind for 8.
Quinton de Kock picked up where he had left off in Hobart and struck three boundaries on his way to 24 before he edged a delivery moving across him from Hazlewood and was taken by Wade. It was the first time on this tour that de Kock had failed to reach fifty in any innings – Test or tour match – and it ended his run of five consecutive Test innings of fifty or more.
Hazlewood snared his fourth wicket late in the session when Vernon Philander was given out caught behind for 4, only to ask confidently for a review as the ball had brushed his leg on the way through to Wade. However, the thinnest imaginable spike on Real-Time Snicko suggested there might have been a faint inside edge before the ball struck Philander, and the decision was upheld.
All the while, du Plessis anchored the innings with a fine innings and brought up his half-century from his half-century from his 92nd delivery. By the dinner break he had struck 10 boundaries and had scored runs all around the wicket.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo