Australia were on 225-5 when bad light stopped play in their first Test against the Proteas at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.
South Africa were looking to apply the pressure towards the end of the day, but, with the floodlights already on, it was always going to be a struggle to play the full day.
Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander, who both finished the day with two wickets apiece, were the pick of the South African bowlers. Maharaj had claimed the prized scalp of Australian captain Steve Smith, while Philander had removed the dangerous David Warner with the last ball of the first session.
READ: Proteas pick up vital Smith wicket
Having started the third and final session on 170-4, The Australians found themselves in further trouble when Maharaj picked up the wicket of Shaun Marsh for 40.
The older Marsh, who had put on just 26 with his brother for the fifth wickets, was fooled by the spin as he edged the ball to AB de Villiers at slip to leave the visitors reeling on 177-5.
After losing Shaun Marsh, the Australians found runs harder and harder to come by, and they could have been in further trouble when Theunis de Bruyne was introduced into the attack.
De Bruyne’s first two balls were slow full tosses. The first fell just short of Kagiso Rabada at mid-on, while the second was just wide of a diving Aiden Markram at short cover for four.
With the Proteas looking to add more pressure on the Australians, the Kingsmead floodlights were brought on at 16:00 as the light in Durban began to fade.
Morne Morkel, who was desperately looking for his first wicket of the Test, continued to toil for the home side, but he could not get a break.
Tim Paine and Mitchell Marsh continued to weather the South African attack, while slowly keeping the scoreboard ticking over as they looked edge the visitors to an acceptable first day’s total. By the end of play, the two had put on a valuable 48 runs for the sixth wicket.
Paine and Marsh, however, were offered the light by the umpire, and the two Australians did the sensible thing and walked off to end the day’s play at Kingsmead.
READ MORE: Proteas toil in the Durban sun
Australia: 225-5: Steve Smith 56, David Warner 51, Shaun Marsh 40, Vernon Philander 2-36, Keshav Maharaj 2-69
Photo: CSA/Twitter
