Australia finished a Test match in just one and half days, beating visiting South Africa by 6 wickets in the first Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. This is also the first time in 91 years that a Test match has been completed on Australian soil in less than 2 days. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Australia bowled South Africans out for just 152. SA pacers replied well, to bundle the Australians out for 218 on morning of Day 2 and on the same day, hosts bowled out Proteas men again for just 99. Aussies then chased down the small target of 35 runs with six wickets to spare.
Pat Cummins took five wickets to lead the hosts’ attack, with Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc claiming two each, with the latter taking his 300th test wicket just before lunch. In keeping with the pattern of the match, Australia made heavy work in chasing the modest 34-runs needed for victory, losing four wickets before Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green completed the job on the final ball of the 8th over.
Kagiso Rabada (4-13) took all four wickets to fall in Australia’s second innings as the hosts top-order stumbled, including David Warner, who was caught at slip for three which will further the speculation on his place in the team heading into the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.
It’s all over at The Gabba, inside two days!
Australia extend their lead at the top of the #WTC23 standings with a six-wicket win _
Watch the rest of the #AUSvSA series LIVE on https://t.co/CPDKNxoJ9v with a Full Tour Pass _ pic.twitter.com/OmeITaMEDs
— ICC (@ICC) December 18, 2022
Earlier Sunday, Rabada took three wickets, despite some wayward bowling, to finish with 4-76, while Marco Jansen (3-32) took the key wickets of Travis Head and Cameron Green within three balls to end a dangerous looking counterattack by the hosts and keep the tourists firmly in the game after the first innings.
Jansen first had Green (18) edging through a sharp chance to Maharaj at third slip, who could only parry the ball up for Sarel Erwee to complete the catch running around from his first slip position.
With inputs from PTI
