Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Nathan Lyon has replaced Matthew Renshaw in the attack, and will have Mitchell Starc providing pressure at the other end. Starc is also helping the spinners (legally) in his follow through, for he is helping the pitch wear.
Steve Smith is on the field and has taken his position at slip
Pat Cummins has taken an intriguing approach and opened the day with the part-time off-spin of Matthew Renshaw. The Queenslander has had a superb Test, so why not.
Test great Mark Waugh says Marnus Labuschagne is still battling a mental hurdle despite two encouraging innings in the opening Test against South Africa in Durban.
Labuschagne, under immense pressure to retain his spot at No.3, made 37 off 58 deliveries (six boundaries) in the first innings, and another 37 off 58 (four boundaries) in the second, as the tourists sought quick runs ahead of a declaration.
The South African-born Queenslander has not posted a Test century since July 2023, when he made 111 in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford.
Waugh, speaking on Fox Cricket ahead of day five of the first Test, said Labuschagne was trending in the right direction, but still had issues to address.
Steve Smith is showing promising signs in warmups this morning, mainly by the mere fact he is taking part in them at all.
That suggests he is feeling ok after a night’s sleep, having spent the fourth evening off the field after he was hit on the helmet by Anrich Nortje during Australia’s second innings.
You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone (or could be).
Twenty-four hours after he was the happiest man at Kingsmead with four catches, three of them utterly brilliant, Steve Smith cut a downbeat figure in the team viewing area as he watched the final session unfold.
Led by Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins, plus a first Test wicket for the ebullient Matt Renshaw, Australia are closing in on a meritorious victory here. But they must also wait to discover whether Smith will be out of the next Test or even the series, if it turns out he has suffered a delayed concussion.
Tellingly, Smith observed the play in his team tracksuit, undergoing further assessment for a potential concussion after he was struck heavily on the helmet by an Anrich Nortje bouncer in the morning. He was never going to take the field on the fourth evening, and will likely miss day five also.
Matt Renshaw’s heroics have extended from the bat to the ball, helping take Australia to six wickets from a series-opening victory over South Africa.
Fresh off adding to his first-innings 190 with 82 in the second, Renshaw had Temba Bavuma caught at bat pad in the final hour as the hosts fell to 4-102 in pursuit of 421 on day four.
The wicket was the first of Renshaw’s Test career with his off spin, and came in a match where he remains the only player to pass 50 with the bat in Durban.
Pat Cummins then had the out-of-sorts Tristan Stubbs caught behind needlessly driving, after Josh Hazlewood claimed the opening two wickets.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of day five of a gripping first Test between Australia and South Africa in Durban. The visitors begin the final day needing six wickets for victory.
My name is Jon Pierik and I will be with you on the blog, and we have Daniel Brettig at the ground. All our game coverage and Daniel’s report will be right here tonight, so don’t stray too far.
