WICKET! Rabada 1; Khawaja c; Verreynne b (Australia 21-1)
Khawaja misses the target after being pushed into the covers. Warner then sprints for two like Renton did at the beginning of Trainspotting as he fled the Leith Polis. More strike rotation followed by an unexpected firing! Rabada bowled a textbook line and length delivery that angled across Khawaja, and the batter feathered a back edge in the style of David Gower. All of this was incredibly unexpected, but Rabada’s strike rate indicates that he should never be written off.
Australia leads by 17-0 after six overs (Warner 17, Khawaja 0) Third consecutive harmless over by Ngidi. Warner can’t decide when to make money.
If there is a record for the height difference between the first slip (Jansen) and the keeper (Verreynne), Peter Moller inquires. Without verifying any information, I will state categorically that it is.
The majority of this, in my opinion, is likely; only the 20 wickets on day three, though, seem improbable, though I’d say 10+ wouldn’t be out of the question.
5th over: Australia 17-0 (Warner 17, Khawaja 0) Unbelievably, Rabada drops short without menace as he begins to strike his line and length, allowing Warner to pull off another risk-free boundary. Warner keeps going with his signature back-foot bunt into the offside for a three. He looks like a man on a mission, even though he is just 17 years old and not quite 21.
The official number of attendees is 64,876.
7-0 Australia in the third over (Warner 7, Khawaja 0) With a boundary, David Warner gets the ball rolling! Replays show Rabada slipping short and Warner whirling his hands through a hard pull with deft quickness. The host broadcaster, who was promoting a new Guy Ritchie film, missed the shot. The South African captain bowled a terrible first over, and after a sluggish start to his second, the radar readjusts, but Warner is still able to pick up three more with a clip off his pads.
Australia scores nil in the second innings (Warner 0, Khawaja 0) By angling the ball at Usman Khawaja from close to the wicket and then attempting to get the Kookaburra to keep its line or even travel away from the seam, Lungi Ngidi strikes the ball with much better line and length. Khawaja is patient, playing what needs to be played with gentle hands, then walking away with assurance.
First over: 0-0 for Australia (Warner 0, Khawaja 0) Rabada starts short, aiming for the right armpit, but he always misses down the legside! He did not even attempt to get the batter to play. What a let down. To a right-hander, they may have been respectable deliveries, but to a left-hander, they were garbage. As he looked for his line, Rabada’s tempo slowed down with each delivery. Not the Proteas’ ideal start.
Warner stands watch, busy and tense. The new ball is in Kagiso Rabada’s hands. A short leg may be seen under the batter’s nose. It should be enjoyable.
Information on Mitchell Starc’s injuries provided by a keen reader (and emergency physician)
Information on Mitchell Starc’s injuries provided by a keen reader (and emergency physician)
Australia will have to bat for an unpleasant hour or two [commentary cliche warning]. This could be the ideal environment for Warner to counterpunch his way back to life against this South African new ball attack with shado 189 all out for South Africa
The Proteas’ performance after being asked to bat on a faultless surface was noticeably below average. Verreynne and Jansen had one middle-order collaboration that was worth 112. Together, the remainder could only muster 77. Early wickets began to fall in a group, triggered by Marnus Labuschagne’s fielding, and later, owing to the perseverance of fifth-bowler Cameron Green, who secured his first Test five-for.
As the Australian opener, who is now out of form, takes guard for the first time in his 100th Test, all eyes are now on David Warner.ws spanning the MCG.
WICKET! Green Ngidi 2 (South Africa 189)
Green has his five, indeed! After casting long South Africa’s No. 11 with a full-length, straight-arm bowl, the large, youthful, and wealthy all-rounder raises the ball to the audience. Australia was in a funk 25 minutes ago, but Cameron Green arrived and turned Boxing Day upside down.
WICKET! Lyon 2; Cummins 3; Maharaj 4 (South Africa 186-9)
from South Africa, Absymal The Proteas have been terrible on both sides of one fantastic pairing. Maharaj is the most recent player to lose his wicket, flicking a high, ugly catch to Cummins at mid-off. Seven for four in 16 balls. terrible collapse
WICKET! Green 4 Rabada b (South Africa 186-8)
Australia needs Cameron Green to have a wicket-taking old-ball spell like this. Additionally, it’s the break that match reporters needed because Green has been the week’s dominant narrative after shattering the IPL auction price record for Australia.
And things improve! Rabada plays back lazily onto his stumps while positioning his bat outside off stump. This innings has been quickly destroyed by Australia, in particular by Green.
South Africa 178-5 in the 63rd over (Verreynne 51, Jansen 58) Verreynne only got one run off the bat from Green’s over, but the scoreboard also benefited from a few byes, one of which was caused by Steve Smith’s misfortune in chasing the errant ball. The majority of Green’s shots are directed at Jansen, who Australia believes is vulnerable to shots to the ribs (as am I), but he survives those okay before nearly dying while chasing a wide shot.
As I already warned you, the Test is currently accompanied by the noise: “Five… four… three… two… one… WAHEYYYYYY!” as a succession of Mexican waves lazily lap at an uninterested shore.
Warner stands watch, busy and tense. The new ball is in Kagiso Rabada’s hands. A short leg may be seen under the batter’s nose. It should be enjoyable.
Information on Mitchell Starc’s injuries provided by a keen reader (and emergency physician)
Information on Mitchell Starc’s injuries provided by a keen reader (and emergency physician)
Australia will have to bat for an unpleasant hour or two [commentary cliche warning]. This could be the ideal environment for Warner to counterpunch his way back to life against this South African new ball attack with shado 189 all out for South Africa
Also Read: ICC Cricket: World Test Championship, How your team can reach the final
