South Africa vs. Australia: Aussies turn it around on day one of third Test as South Africa crashes

PAT Cummins has put Australia into a commanding position at the end of the opening day’s play in Cape Town after his incredible late burst of wickets sent South Africa into a tailspin.

Pat Cummins put Australia in a commanding position at the end of the first day’s play in Cape Town. Picture: AP/Halden Krog

Pat Cummins feared being a passenger on what was shaping as a long day in the field for Australia, who started the third Test by losing the toss and watching South Africa stroll to 2-220.

Instead, Cummins worked wonders with the old ball in Cape Town, igniting an incredible fightback with four quick wickets as the Proteas crashed to 8-266 at stumps.

Dean Elgar will resume day two on 121, having weathered a painful blow to the helmet and made the most of a simple chance on 53 that Nathan Lyon put down at point.

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Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of Faf du Plessis.

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Elgar was unable to stop a collapse of 6-37, adding just 12 runs as the wickets tumbled.

The carnage started when AB de Villiers fell for 64, chipping a catch to David Warner at mid-off to become the first victim in a game-changing burst of 4-7 from Cummins.

Cummins, some six and a half years after announcing himself as a future superstar with a sparkling Test debut at age 18 in South Africa, removed de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock.

“It felt like I was pretty ordinary in my first 10 overs,” Cummins said.

“I wasn’t hitting my length as well as I would have liked. I was a bit worried I was going to be a passenger.

“It was just one of those spells where the ball was going exactly where you want it to and it’s swinging away and had a bit of bounce. I’d say it would be up there (with the best he’s ever bowled).”

It was an eventful day for Cummins, whose conduct was questioned by the host broadcaster after he accidentally stood on the ball in front of the standing umpire.

Pat Cummins wreaked havoc late on.

Dean Elgar proved the hero for South Africa.

“Accidentally on purpose,” former Proteas captain Graeme Smith quipped in commentary, inferring the express paceman was illegally looking to scuff one side of the pill.

Cummins suggested the umpire could see the funnier side of the latest incident in a series stacked with dramatic cricket, spiteful spats and cantankerous claims.

“Looked straight back and he just had a giggle. Obviously very unintentional,” he said.

“He had a look straight away (at the ball) and obviously there was no issue.”

Steve Smith delayed taking the second new ball when it was first available. It proved a smart call, with Vernon Philander edging a full delivery from Mitch Marsh then Mitchell Starc accounting for Keshav Maharaj.

Josh Hazlewood got among the wickets early.

AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar put on a stand of 128.

“That’s the nature of Test cricket for you. Four hours a team can be dominant then the other two hours, the other team can bounce back,” Elgar said.

The way it was going at tea I thought we could push past 380, 400. We just can’t afford to play loose cricket.”

The tourists celebrated the dismissal of Philander vociferously, with umpires having a long chat with Warner afterwards.

Tim Paine had previously told Philander to “switch the phone off”, sledging the paceman about last week’s supposedly-hacked tweet that attacked Smith.

Josh Hazlewood dismissed Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla, and would have had a third wicket if not for Lyon’s dropped catch. .

South Africa were 8-266 at stumps on the opening day of the third Test against Australia at Newlands today. Scores: South Africa 8-266 (D Elgar 121no, AB de Villiers 64; P Cummins 4-64).