Josh Hazlewood produced a devastating spell of fast bowling as Australia crushed South Africa by 214 runs on the final day of the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Chasing 421 for victory, after Australia had set the mammoth target late on day four, South Africa resumed on 102 for 4 with Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder at the crease. The pair fought hard for 110 minutes, raising hopes of a famous rearguard. But Hazlewood broke the stand in the 67th over, having Mulder caught behind for 29.
The final morning
The day had begun with South Africa still harbouring hopes of an escape. Markram and Mulder walked out with the scoreboard reading 102 for 4 and a mountain still to climb. For 110 minutes they held firm, blunting the new ball and forcing Australia to work for every chance.
The breakthrough, when it came, was classic Hazlewood. In the 67th over he found Mulder’s edge, and the wicketkeeper did the rest. Mulder departed for 29, and the door was open.
The new ball ends it
What followed was ruthless. Once the second new ball was taken, Australia’s attack found a different gear. Four wickets tumbled for just five runs in the space of 16 deliveries. Markram, who had batted nearly four hours for his 75 from 237 balls, finally fell to Starc. Jansen’s 35 was the only other resistance of note.
It was the kind of collapse that decides Test matches and series. South Africa went from a fighting position to all out in a blur, and the 214-run margin flattered neither side: it was an accurate reflection of Australia’s dominance across the five days.
Renshaw takes the honours
Renshaw was named Player of the Match for a superb all-round contribution. He struck 190 in the first innings and followed it with 82 in the second, in addition to his two wickets with the ball.
For South Africa, the defeat carried a personal sting for Temba Bavuma. It was his first loss as Test captain in his 13th match in charge, ending an unbeaten streak that had stretched across his first 12 games at the helm.
What the result means
A 214-run winning margin in the fourth innings underlines how thoroughly Australia controlled the contest. South Africa’s chase was always a mountain: 421 was never a realistic target on a wearing fifth-day pitch. But the manner of the collapse, four wickets for five runs once the new ball arrived, will concern the home side far more than the margin itself.
The series now moves on with Australia holding a 1-0 advantage and all the momentum. South Africa must regroup quickly, and questions will follow about the batting order’s ability to withstand sustained pressure from Australia’s pace attack. The result is a warning for touring sides this winter, with Sri Lanka set to arrive in Pakistan for their own Test series. International cricket’s focus then shifts to white-ball action, with Pakistan hosting England and Sri Lanka in an ODI tri-series later this month. For the visitors, Hazlewood’s return to wicket-taking form is the story of the match. Six for 49 is the kind of spell that wins Test matches on its own, and on this evidence South Africa’s batters have no easy answers for him.
For Bavuma, the challenge is now psychological as well as tactical. Twelve matches unbeaten as captain had built an aura around his leadership. The first defeat resets that record to zero, and how his side responds in the second Test will say much about the character of this South African team.
*Source: Geo Super*
