Australia v South Africa: second Test, day one – as it happened

South Africa has again figured out a way to be dismissed for less than 200 on an innocent surface in the sweltering Melbourne sun.

A string of the top-order batters found ways to lose their wicket when Pat Cummins summoned them to bat, a move that caused quite a stir. But while they faced humiliation and were down 67-5, a partnership emerged. With scores of 52 from Kyle Verreynne and 59 from Marco Jansen, it appeared for a while in the afternoon that an actual Test match could break out among the crapshoot. Unfortunately, the final five wickets went for 10 runs in four overs following a stand of 112 runs.

Cameron Green, an all-around player, was the main character in that second collapse (5/27). By placing the old ball in the proper spots frequently enough for the Proteas to create their own demise, he earned his maiden Test five-for. It came at a perfect time for Australia because not long ago, Mitchell Starc spilled a diving catch and severely hurt the middle finger on his bowling hand, keeping him out of the attack for the rest of the day and possibly much longer.

The focus of Australia’s response was always going to be on David Warner, the controversial opener who started the historic 100th Test. And he didn’t let us down, playing with panache to stay unbeaten at 32 and lead his team to a final score of 45-1. Usman Khawaja, one of a quartet of South African pacemen who flopped horribly with the new ball, edged Kagiso Rabada indolently for the lone wicket

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They will be aware that in order to prevent Australia from winning this Test, they must all play better tomorrow. Geoff and I will be in Melbourne on this sweltering day to capture all the sun-kissed activity. For now, good night.

Twelve overs: Australia 45-1 (Warner 32, Labuschagne 5) Better from Jansen, he shapes the ball back into the right-handed Labuschagne from over the wicket, but the run-machine works three through the on-side with the curve. The ball then deflects off Warner’s raised blade but away from danger when he fails to leave firmly. After that, he displays all of his knowledge by wasting time with a mid-pitch talk and lots of equipment fiddling before pulling away from the strike just as Jansen was ready to bowl. Stump are the results.

11th inning: Australia 42-1 (Warner 33, Labuschagne 2) Nortje follows Rabada in the assault, and he is the first pacer from South Africa to get off to a fast start. He hits Warner with a nice length as he bowls in the upper 140s kph, forcing the batter to play frequently. However, this is classic Warner, aiming to capitalize on any chance for a counterpunch. He scores four runs with a thick-edge over the gully for four, and then adds two more with a short-arm bunt through midwicket. This kind of resolute beginning batting has kept Warner going into his 100th Test.

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Australia 35-1 after 10 overs (Warner 27, Labuschagne 2) Labuschange starts up the innings with a pair during a weak over from Jansen for the second time in a row. Thus far, South Africa’s performance with the ball has fallen short of expectations.

Not sure if it’s a commentary cliché per se, but the Australian broadcaster’s on-going hagiography of David Warner is starting to get old, writes Alex Greggery in an email. It appears that they are attempting to will him back into shape solely through mental energy. I worry that by praising the story, like Alex, I have also fallen into that trap. See previous entries regarding Cameron Green’s intervention; we like to develop stories that will keep us interested throughout a column, an OBO, or a commentary stint.

Australia 33-1 in the ninth over (Warner 27, Labuschagne 0) Warner keeps up the pressure on an erratic Rabada, shouting out loud, sprinting hard, and putting the onus back on the bowler to take drastic action to get rid of him. Your reporter did a double take when Justin Langer called Ricky Ponting “Punt” on television in another part of the room. For the uninitiated, Ponting’s nickname throughout his career was Punter, but shortening it further on live television invites difficulty.

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8th over: Australia 28-1 (Warner 23, Labuschagne 0) Marco Jansen runs up to the peak of his run-up with a frame that is almost two meters tall. He encounters Warner in that combative, punching state that has served him so well during his 100-Test career. Warner is seeking to score from anything outside the line of the fourth stump with his crouching jabs and slicing motions akin to a swordfighter in a movie. After Rabada and Ngidi got off to a horrible start, Jansen follows suit by finishing a mild opening over with four leg-byes that dash toward the rope.