South Africa vs Australia 1st Test | SA bowled out for 152 on Day 1

Australia’s Scott Boland, right, appeals successfully for the wicket of South Africa’s Khaya Zondo, left, during the first cricket Test between South Africa and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, on December 17, 2022
| Photo Credit: AP

Pat Cummins’ gamble to bowl first reaped instant rewards Saturday as Australia’s attack dismissed South Africa for 152 before tea on Day 1 of the three-Test series.

Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Scott Boland took early wickets to have South Africa reeling at 27-4 before Kyle Verreynne (64) and Temba Bavuma (38) combined in a 98-run fifth-wicket stand to stem the flow until the middle session.

Starc ended that defiance when he dismissed Bavuma and then off-spinner Nathan Lyon accelerated another slide with three wickets.

Starc had South Africa skipper Dean Elgar (3) out, gloving a legside catch to wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the fifth over, before Cummins and Scott Boland took three wickets in 11 deliveries as South Africa slumped to 27-4 in the 11th over after being sent in on a green pitch and under overcast conditions.

It’s the first Test series between the two countries since the so-called Sandpapergate scandal in South Africa in 2018 that rocked Australian cricket, and the ball-tampering saga was the main talking point ahead of the first Test.

Cummins made an effort to steer the conversation around Australia’s bowling attack in a different direction by taking the risk of bowling first after winning the toss at the Gabba. He was the first Australian captain to do that in 22 years since Stephen Waugh led Australia to an innings victory against West Indies in 2000.

Lyon returned 3-14 from eight overs, troubling the lower order, with Starc collecting 3-41 from 14, narrowly missing out on his 300th Test wicket when Travis Head put down a sharp, juggling catch at short leg. Cummins (2-25) and Boland (2-28) each took a pair as the front-line bowlers all chipped in.

Instead of getting defensive, though, Verreynne counter-attacked with a boundary and a six, cutting Green over the boundary behind point, in the 14th over to start a South African rearguard stand.

For South Africa’s inexperienced batting lineup, only Verreynne and veteran Bavuma showed genuine resistance. The last six wickets fell for 27 runs.

It could have been dramatically worse for the South Africans with an ill-advised single from Bavuma that would have resulted in a run-out if the Australian fielder had thrown to the non-striker’s end with Verreynne well out of his ground in the infancy of the fifth-wicket partnership.

Instead, Verreynne passed 50 for only the second time in Test cricket when he hit a boundary through mid-wicket against Cummins and was pacing the partnership with Bavuma.

Left-arm paceman Starc ended that in the 35th over when he cramped Bavuma and got an inside edge onto the stumps, making the total 125-5.

Lyon returned to the attack in the 36th over and got his first wicket in the 40th when the 2.06-meter (6-foot-8) allrounder Marco Jansen skied a catch to Cameron Green.

Starc had Keshav Maharaj (2) out edging a full ball to Steve Smith at slip immediately after setting up the South African No. 8 with a bouncer. Lyon ended Verreynne’s 96-ball defiance in the next over when Smith took a sharp catch at slip and also had Anrich Nortje (0) caught in the 46th.

Cummins picked up the last wicket in the second ball of the 46th over, leaving Australia plenty of time to bat in a full third session.