Last Updated on 25 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

As South Africa raced to 140/0 by lunch, Pat Cummins and Australia may well have regretted their decision to bowl first in batting-friendly conditions. The boundaries flowed as Australia erred too short and bowled both sides of the wicket, with Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman racing to half-centuries.

Mitchell Starc resorted to around the wicket in his third over. Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins couldn’t find any nip off the surface, with the latter employing the short ball within the first hour. Nathan Lyon was bowling by the 11th over and sent down six overs before lunch – the most he has ever bowled in the first session when Cummins opted to field.

The lunch break was an opportunity for Australia to regroup with the series on the line. Lyon held up an end beautifully from the start of the second session onwards, prizing out Ackerman’s wicket as the opener attempted to charge the offspinner.

Aiden Markram and David Bedingham then looked solid, taking the Proteas to 203/1. And that’s where the match turned on its head. The hosts soon found themselves at 232/6 after tea, with a combination of more disciplined bowling and South Africa’s remarkable insistence on falling into Australia’s bouncer trap.

Ryan Rickelton (42) and Australian’s thorn in their side, Marco Jansen (52), took South Africa to the new ball with visions of a 400+ total. At 327/6, Australia needed a burst with the new ball and Starc delivered in the most incredible way possible.

The left-arm quick dismissed Rickelton (LBW), Jansen (bowled), Gerald Coetzee (bowled) and Kagiso Rabada (LBW) within the space of six balls. After sitting pretty at 158/0 and 203/1, South Africa were bowled out for 329.

After the day’s play, Starc admitted that it’s been difficult to find rhythm throughout the series. Mark Waugh believed the same, suggesting on Kayo Sports that he may have considered leaving the left-arm fast bowler out for Scott Boland.

“There’s been a lot of things that haven’t felt right through the series,” Starc said, as quoted by cricket.com.au. “I had a bit of a look last night with [assistant coach] James Franklin and Ronnie [Andrew McDonald], and also my wife [Alyssa Healy] who has watched a lot of cricket.

“I just had a bit of a look at some footage from the Test in Durban with some overlay from the Ashes, just seeing if there was anything through the action which there wasn’t really. It was just more a feel thing. I was probably looking too far into it. There wasn’t really much difference in the action.

“I was probably searching for a feeling that I probably didn’t need to. If I just switched my brain off, I might be right.”

Starc, who went from figures of 0/62 to 6/72, praised Australia’s ability to problem solve. Pat Cummins’ team found themselves in a difficult position, before fighting back to take 10 wickets.

“A lot of us have been around long enough to try and problem solve while we’re going. Was just hoping to get a few right with that second newie. It would have been nice to do with the (first) new ball in the first hour.

“But I think that’s it’s a feature of our group. We can problem solve before the end of the day’s play, and to bowl them out (having produced) clearly not our best stuff in the first two hours, I think we take that.”

Attention now shifts to Australia’s batting. A first innings lead could prove vital on a dry pitch, but there is plenty of work to be done to get there, starting with a solid second days’ play.