Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Dear oh dear. Josh Inglis is out. Cam Green has run out his partner badly. Calamity.
As Mark Howard says, “It’s gone from bad to worse.” Inglis is out for 4.
Dan Brettig at Newlands adds: Harmer creates a run out. Neither Green nor Inglis have looked comfortable against him and in their haste to get off strike a wicket comes. Green squeezes one off bat and pad into a half-gap but it’s too tight for a run, and Inglis is out comfortably even though the throw from Ackerman is not a direct hit.
Green is 16, Alex Carey 0
Australia are 4-40, requiring another 244.
Simon Harmer – the off-spinner – has been injected into the attack after just 11 overs. His first ball turns sharply too, striking Cam Green on the pad but it just hits him outside the line of off-stump.
Green (9) and Josh Inglis (2) – the two West Australians in the side – have looked sharp since coming to the crease early, but Harmer looks threatening early.
It’s drinks after the first hour.
The Fox Cricket boys are taking at drinks.
On Labuschagne, Mark Waugh says, “That’s just not watching the ball. Unfortunately for Marnus, it’s a bad way to finish his career, I think.”
Gone! Another. This time it’s Travis Head.
Rabada pitches it up and Travis Head doesn’t move his feet, he simply plays with his hands and edges to the safe hands of Jansen at gully. It’s Rabada’s 350th Test wicket too. He’s taken them at 22.04, striking at 39 – that’s simply remarkable. Only Dale Steyn beat him to that, it took the great right-arm quick 134 innings compared to Rabada’s 137.
Josh Inglis, who scored a century in the first innings, joins Cam Green.
Green is 2, Inglis 0
Australia are 3-22
Cam Green, who was recalled for the third Test after missing the opening two Tests of the series, has joined Travis Head. It almost goes without saying, but these two need to build a partnership.
Head obviously scores quickly. He’s already intent on playing the same way. Green is off the mark, but he almost was bowled after defending a rising delivery that bounced backward towards the stump and missed the off peg by about a stump. He scored a century during Australia’s first Test loss to Bangladesh in Darwin in a couple of months ago. Can he go big and lead Australia to victory today? It’ll be some feat if he can. The odds are stacked against Australia.
Head is 10, Green 2
Australia are 18-2
Labuschagne takes a look around Newlands and then walks off extremely slowly. That will have to be the last time he is seen in Test cricket for a while at least. After Renshaw glances his first ball into the gloves of Rickelton, Labuschagne edges a boundary then leaves a Rabada delivery that seams back viciously at him. Umpire Kettleborough gives it out in the field, meaning that umpires call on DRS is enough for Labuschagne to go. Disastrous start for Australia.
Horror start! Third ball and Matt Renshaw is out first ball. He’s strangled down the leg side. He’s glanced it and it’s well caught from Rickelton. It’s a really unlucky way to get out but he’s got to go.
Labuschagne is on his way out to the middle. First ball he edges to the boundary. Third ball, gone! He’s shouldered arms. It’s come back off the seam and struck him outside the line but he’s not played a shot. He reviews it. It stands. It’s umpire’s call. Wow. Labuschagne goes for four.
Head 1, Green 0
Australia are 5-2
Australia’s openers Travis Head and Matthew Renshaw are on their way out to the middle.
Some of the clouds have parted and there’s plenty of blue sky.
Kagiso Rabada will open the bowling with left-armer Marco Jansen at the other end. Rabada has 347 wickets at 22.49. His strike rate at a tick under 40 is simply sensational.
Australia 0-0.
There is some cloud above Newlands this morning, which may be a material factor in how this chase plays out. It was under similar skies that Starc got the second new ball swerving on the first evening. Australia will be hoping that the breeze shifts that overhead cover in time for it to be another sunny day, the better to run down the target of 288. All Australia’s batters are having a hit in the nets this morning.
It’s do-or-die for Marnus Labuschagne.
He secretly would have been happy that the Proteas batted the day yesterday because it’s given him a chance to save his Test career.
There’s already been calls for Josh Inglis to move to No.3 in the order to start the Australian summer in place for Labuschagne. But he can have his say on that matter today.
After falling for a five-ball duck in the first innings, the pressure will be firmly on the Australian No.3 to deliver, with the Aussies needing 288 runs for victory on the final day.
It means the 32-year-old failed to score a Test century for the 48th time in a row – a record for the number of consecutive innings a batter in Australia’s top four has waited to raise his bat at three figures. He hasn’t scored a Test century since July 2023.
The equation is simple: Australia require 288 runs to win.
After Wiaan Mulder was out for 115 at the end of day four, Australia will start their innings with 10 wickets. The bookies have South Africa as slight $1.95 favourites, with Australia paying $2.35 to win at the start of play.
The pitch is turning but the bounce has remained consistent throughout the Test. That’s shown by the fine centuries on day four to Mulder and Ryan Rickelton, who hit 101.
Mitch Starc took three wickets while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon took two. Josh Hazlewood snared one scalp, and there was two run outs.
All eyes will be on Australia’s top three, especially Marnus Labuschagne.
After the third Test started on Tuesday, there should be a healthy crowd at Newlands given it’s a Saturday. In fact, it should be the best crowd of the series, which wouldn’t be hard, but you’d hope that Newlands is packed given the series is on the line.
