Kagiso Rabada starred as South Africa ended the first day of the second Test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on 39-1, having bowled Australia out for 243.
Rabada took 5-96, including four wickets in seven balls, before making 17 not out as a nightwatchman.
While the visitors’ last two wickets added 61 valuable runs to the total, the Proteas will be pleased with their bowling effort, considering Australia were 98-0 at one stage and then 161-3.
Rabada had taken three wickets in six balls before tea and he removed Pat Cummins with his first ball after the break.
While the 23-year-old was unable to pick up a hat-trick, he would claim his eighth career five-for when he bowled Mitchell Starc for eight.
Rabada finished his second spell having picked up five wickets for just 13 runs.
Nathan Lyon joined Tim Paine out in the middle, and the two began to frustrate the South Africans as they scored at almost a run a ball.
Lungi Ngidi destroyed Lyon’s woodwork when he found the perfect line and length. Lyon (17) had put on 30 runs for the ninth wicket with Paine.
With Josh Hazlewood at the other end, senior partner Paine looked to take up as much of the strike as possible in order to further vex the South Africans.
And they did, taking the score from 212-9 to 243 when Ngidi bowled Paine for 36.
Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram made a cautious start to the South African innings, seemingly looking to keep their wickets intact until the end of the day.
But Markram was trapped lbw by Cummins for 11, which brought nightwatchman Rabada to the middle.
The Proteas bowler immediately got off the mark with a boundary and he and Elgar were able to see South Africa to the close.
Australia 243 (1st innings): David Warner 63, Cameron Bancroft 38, Kagiso Rabada 5-96, Lungi Ngidi 3-51
South Africa 39-1(1st innings): Kagiso Rabada 17*, Dean Elgar 11*, Pat Cummins 1-9
Photo: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
