On a day that saw 290 runs scored and 11 wickets fall, these are the moments that really mattered
Five moments that mattered: day two
Elgar sees out Australia’s bowlers
Proteas opener Dean Elgar and tailender Kagiso Rabada added 41 important runs on the second morning at Newlands, before Nathan Lyon took just five balls to claim the final two scalps and finish the home side’s innings on 311.
It left Elgar unbeaten on 141, making it the third time in his Test career that the left-hander had carried his bat and the second time in the space of two months.
The only other player to have carried their bat three times in Tests is legendary Windies opener Desmond Haynes, who did so across a seven-year span between 1986 and 1993.
But in what might be a bad omen for the hosts, South Africa have gone on to lose the previous two Tests when Elgar has batted through an entire innings.
Warner v Rabada – Round 2
All eyes were on the star duo of David Warner and Kagiso Rabada after the paceman’s send-off in the second innings of the Port Elizabeth Test and the showdown more than delivered on the hype.
The Australia opener made a nervy start against the fiery quick, copping a nasty blow on the forearm off Rabada’s second ball of the day and then – after some treatment out in the middle – edging his third ball behind point to get off the mark with a boundary.
Warner exploded in the spearhead’s following over with three consecutive boundaries, before following up with a monstrous six and then four more to start the proceeding over, in a five-ball blitz that yielded 22 runs for Warner.
Image Id: 5698188A49F8480AA705A0F33B7B7158 Image Caption: Warner loses his off-stump // GettyRabada had the last laugh, however, when he sent Warner’s off-stump cartwheeling in spectacular fashion off the very next delivery.
No doubt aware of the focus on his wicket celebrations following the drama of the past week, Rabada was sure to steer clear of the dismissed batter – although one fan seemed keen to take up the send-off duties when he sprayed the Australian vice-captain on his walk up to the dressing room.
Morne’s magic milestone
Having announced this series would be his last in Test cricket before a ball had been bowled, it looked as though Morne Morkel’s international career would come to an abrupt when he was left out of the Proteas XI for the second Test at St George’s Park.
But a toe injury to rising pace star Lungi Ngidi opened the door for the towering quick to add to his 297 scalps in his 85th Test.
Morkel struck with his just his third ball when Usman Khawaja was caught at fine leg attempting a hook shot shortly before the lunch break and then it was the major breakthrough of touring skipper Steve Smith fending a short to gully on the other side of the interval.
The milestone moment came for the 33-year-old towards the end of the afternoon session when Shaun Marsh played a loose drive to edge one through to Quinton de Kock, leaving an emotional Morkel to celebrate the moment with teammates while the Newlands crowd rose to their feet.
Morkel is just the fifth South African to reach the 300-wicket milestone, joining Shaun Pollack (421), Dale Steyn (419), Makhaya Ntini (390) and Allan Donald (330).
Image Id: 3623DD57D2D14EBFB8E8561473A3539F Image Caption: Morkel roars his delight at 300 // GettyTea-time terror
The departure of Shaun Marsh was a big blow late in the session, but it was the dismissal of opener Cameron Bancroft that left the tourists reeling on the stroke of tea.
The Western Australia duo produced a vital 78-run stand together before the double-strike, with Bancroft burning a review after being trapped in front by the craftiness of Vernon Philander.
Not only did it leave Australia 5-150 at tea, it meant the tourists would begin the session with two brand new batters at the crease when making a start had proven so difficult throughout the Test.
Lyon rides his luck for career-best
Walking to the crease at 8-175 would’ve hardly seemed like a disaster for Nathan Lyon given his own experiences at the picturesque venue.
It was more than six years earlier at Newlands where Lyon famously top-scored at No.11 in Australia’s embarrassing total of 47.
A similar feat on the second day of this Test was probably asking too much, but the tourists would have been thrilled with the contribution of their No.10 as Lyon posted a new career-best of – funnily enough – 47.
The off-spinner rode his luck through the entertaining 38-ball stay, with both Amla and de Villiers each putting down chances of contrasting difficulty in the cordon.
A sharp catch by Elgar running with the flight ball of the ball at cover saw Lyon fall agonisingly short of his maiden Test half-century, but his Test benchmark had helped give Australia a sniff of staying in the series.
Qantas tour of South Africa
South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, AB de Villiers.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights
First Test Australia won by 118 runs. Scorecard
Second Test South Africa won by six wickets. Scorecard
Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26. Live coverage
Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3. Live coverage