Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia, turned up an impressive performance with the ball on Sunday, helping the home team to a victory against South Africa in the first Test of the three-match series at the Gabba in Brisbane. The victory came within the first two days of the contest.
Cummins finished the match with a score of 7 wickets for 77 runs, after having taken two wickets in the first innings. This was only the second time that a test match played in Australia was finished within the first two days of the match.
Surprisingly, South Africa have been on the losing end both occasions, having lost a Test match in Melbourne in 1932 by an innings and 72 runs. South Africa recorded totals of 36 and 45 in 1932, whereas Australia had only batted once and scored 153 runs.
At the Gabba, South Africa’s second innings needed to be strong in order to overcome the 66-run deficit that had been created by Australia’s first innings performance.
However, the pitch was green, and Australia had a potent bowling attack, so the batsman for the Proteas was under pressure from the very beginning of the game.
With only five runs on the board, Dean Elgar, who had scored two, Rassie van der Dussen, who had scored zero, and Sarel Erwee, who had scored three, all went back to the locker room.
Both Khaya Zondo (36) and Temba Bavuma (29) gave it their best shot to put up a fight, but Khaya Zondo came out on top with 36 points.
Cummins, who had earlier taken out South Africa’s openers Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee, then tore through South Africa’s tail, giving Australia a manageable goal of 34 to chase down.
While Australia reply resulted in the loss of four wickets, South Africa gave away 19 additional runs.
“With another sixty runs, we might have had a chance to win the game. The bowlers were licking their lips because the ground was so spicy “remarked Dean Elgar, the captain of South Africa’s team.
“In terms of preparation, I don’t think we could do any better. The weather and the field were not in the batters’ favour.”