Australia vs South Africa First Test Day 2: Gabba pitch causes mayhem, Mitchell Starc joins all-time greats

Australia have defeated South Africa within two days as Gabba’s green monster pitch wreaked havoc on both batting line-ups.

Australia have defeated South Africa by six wickets within two days of action as the Gabba’s green monster pitch wreaked havoc on both batting line-ups.

It was just the second time in history a Test match in Australia had been decided in the space of two days.

Many experts hit out at the Brisbane pitch given the excessive amount of movement it provided the bowlers during the first Test of the series.

“The pitch is just a little too juicy,” Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“You just need to have luck to make runs, apart from Travis Head no one has looked likely with the bat.

“I’d have to say this pitch will get a below average (ICC) rating unfortunately.”

All up 34 wickets were taken inside six sessions as the pitch caused absolute mayhem.

The nightmare pitch was a worst-case scenario for David Warner, whose form slump continued in horror fashion in the first Test of the series.

Australia's David Warner had a tough Test. (Photo by Patrick HAMILTON / AFP)

The Aussie opener now heads to the MCG for his 100th Test with his confidence at an all-time low after just three runs across two innings in Brisbane.

Travis Head was awarded man of the match thanks to his impressive 92 runs off 96 balls in the first innings.

Take a look below to see how all the action unfolded on Day 2 (all times AEDT).

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5.30pm: Warner’s woes continue

David Warner’s horror run of form has continued with the aggressive opener out for just three runs.

Warner knicked behind off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada, with a sharp catch taken in the slips by Sarel Erwee.

It won’t mean too much to this Test with Australia only needing 25 runs to win, however it’s another devastating blow for Warner’s confidence ahead of his 100th Test at the MCG.

5.00pm: South Africa all out for 99

The tourists are all out for 99 in their second innings at the Gabba, giving them a lead of just 34 runs.

Amid controversy over the Gabba’s green monster pitch, the South Africans absolutely crumbled on Day 2 as Pat Cummins took five wickets for 42.

Now it’s all eyes on Aussie opener David Warner to see if he can survive his run curse and lead Australia to a quick victory.

Pat Cummins was on fire on Day 2. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

3.40pm: Pitch under fire as more wickets fall

The Gabba pitch has come under fire as another South African batting collapse opens the door for Australia to win this match within two days.

Many experts have questioned whether the green Brisbane pitch will cop a rating of ‘poor’ by the ICC.

Cricket legend Ricky Ponting said some players thought it was one of the most difficult pitches they’d ever batted on.

“I actually think it will get a poor rating,” Ponting told Channel 7.

“To have 22 wickets fall in the first four sessions of a Test Match, says to me...these are very, very good bowling teams no doubt about that, but I don’t think that the batting teams are that bad.

“Speaking to some of the players this morning, they seemed to think it is as difficult a surface they have ever played on.”

Nathan Lyon is getting great results on the Gabba pitch. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Fellow Aussie cricket Matthew Hayden declared there had been “excessive movement” on the pitch.

“In my opinion, it started too green. And that’s just from someone that has seen this from a very young age, there is no need to make it so full of grass, such heavy grass content,” Hayden told Channel 7.

However some experts were placing the blame back on the batsmen for not being able to defend their wickets, even despite the wild movement on the pitch.

“These are the two best sides in the world rankings on paper and they’re playing out a Test match that’s only going to last two days,” Ian Smith said in commentary for Fox Cricket.

Only once before in history has a Test match finished within two days in Australia, that was in the 1930s when Australia faced the West Indies at the MCG.

This at the Gabba isn't unplayable but a very difficult pitch to bat on. Almost too difficult. A proper, spicy Andhra curry that is edible but leaves you gasping.....

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 18, 2022

Definitely questions need to be asked about any pitch that results in a 2 day test match but this Gabba one didn't seem that unplayable. It was unusually green yes, and obviously difficult/tricky but there was some bad batting and excellent bowling too.#AUSvRSA#Cricket

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) December 18, 2022

Gabba was considered the best of last summer's pitches by the Aust players (possibly excepting Scott Boland and Melbourne 😂) but 27 wickets in five sessions says this one was more blue than medium rare #AUSvSA

— Daniel Brettig 🏏 (@danbrettig) December 18, 2022

This Gabba pitch isn't shooting low. It isn't kicking off a length. It isn't spinning square. It isn't seaming sideways.

It has just enough for the bowler to test the batsman. The problem is the batsmen have been no good.

— Dennis (@DennisCricket_) December 18, 2022

2.15pm: South Africa in ‘dire straits’

The South African batting line-up is crumbling all over again following the dismissal of Sarel Erwee for just three runs.

Cameron Green took a fantastic catch high above his head in the gully after Erwee got a thick edge on the delivery from Pat Cummins.

“They are in dire straits South Africa,” Adam Gilchrist said in commentary for Fox Sports.

South Africa is now 3/5 and this match looks like it could be over very soon.

1.15pm: Starc gets 300th with absolute ripper

Mitchell Starc has taken his 300th Test wicket with one of the finest deliveries you will ever see.

The fiersome left-hander ripped Rassie van der Dussen’s stumps apart with an in-swinging off-cutter that was absolutely impossible to defend.

The South African batsman could only shake his head in disbelief as the ball tore right through his defences and obliterated his stumps.

Mitchell Starc bowled a ripper. Photo: Kayo.

“What a peach to get it with, the in-swinging, full delivery, stumps going everywhere, take a bow my man,” Kerry O’Keefe said in commentary for Fox Cricket.

“What a milestone to get with your signature ball, the in-swinging off-cutter to open up the gate of a right-hander.

“How delighted is he that he got it with that rock. Well-bowled champion.”

Just minutes earlier South Africa lost their first wicket of the second innings after Pat Cummins trapped captain Dean Elgar LBW.

300 for Mitchell Starc 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/g3okDJg55S

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 18, 2022

This will give you an idea of how good Mitchell Starc has been. Of the 37 members of the 300 club, only five have a better strike rate than his 49.5:
Dale Steyn 42.3
Waqar Younis 43.4
Malcolm Marshall 46.7
Allan Donald 47.0
Fred Trueman 49.4#AUSvSA

— Andrew Wu (@wutube) December 18, 2022

Strike rate of less than 50 for 300 Test wickets… the guy has caught a lot of flak for a bloke that has been an absolute weapon. Congratulations, Mitchell Starc 👏 #AUSvSA

— Corbin Middlemas (@CorbinMiddlemas) December 18, 2022

What a way to bring up your 300th test wicket. That's a ripper from Mitchell Starc. #AUSvRSA#Cricket

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) December 18, 2022

Mitchell Starc's status as one of cricket’s modern greats is no longer in question, and how appropriate that he reaches the 300-wicket milestone with his signature delivery.

Sir Donald wouldn’t have laid bat on it: https://t.co/qU2uoS7FhE

📸 Getty Images #[e-mail]/ae9HLbYAoP

— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) December 18, 2022

12.40pm: Aussie tail wiped out

South Africa demolished Australia’s lower order with the Aussies losing 3/1 to end the innings.

Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon both looked helpless against the short ball and were both removed for a duck.

The wickets of Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Lyon all fell inside a three over spell of menacing short balls from Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.

Cummins looked desperately out of touch when facing a short ball barrage from Rabada and fell for a duck from three deliveries.

He tried to slog a shortish ball but was only able to send a top edge down the throat of Anrich Nortje.

He was nearly out on his first ball when another bouncer struck him on a wrist guard.

Minutes earlier Ngidi showed incredible athleticism to get down low and snare Mitch Starc caught and bowled.

Starc bunted the ball back down the wicket and Ngidi reached down low to get both hands around the ball before as he fell forward onto his elbows and knees.

12pm: ‘That’s weird’: Head falls in the nineties

Travis Head was caught behind after getting some glove onto a dangerous short ball from red-hot South African quick Anrich Nortje.

The bowler had two wickets in his first four deliveries of the series after he got Cameron Green nicking off a ball that was pitched up.

Green fell for 18 from 19 balls when his cover drive ended up flying to third slip. However, the catch bobbled up when the fielder couldn’t control it, and it ended up in the hands of first slip Sarel Erwee, who had raced over to help.

Cameron Green got a bit unlucky. Photo: Kayo.

There was even more drama just a minute later when Head was removed on 92 — having also been dismissed for 99 against the West Indies in Adelaide.

Head tried to turn the ball down to fine leg, but the delivery climbed aggressively and grabbed some of his glove as it sailed underneath his bottom hand.

Head referred the decision to the DRS after it appeared to miss the glove and strike his torso.

Closer replays showed there was contact and it was confirmed by the Snicko technology. However, the further decision was further confused when hot spot technology didn’t detect any contact between the glove and ball.

Travis Head was so close. Photo: Kayo.

Travis Head was so close. Photo: Kayo.

Ian Smith said in commentary for Fox Cricket: “It looked for a second as if (it would be overturned). That’s quite a weird scenario that.”

11am: Warner’s Baggy Green reveal is simply ‘ugly’

After Steve Smith caused such a commotion when he showed off just how decimated his iconic Baggy Green cap looks after playing 89 Tests — David Warner has now revealed his cap is equally in a state of disrepair.

The state of Smith’s baggy green raised a debate on social media over whether his well-worn cap was a sign of “disrespect for a national icon”.

Aussie cricketers used to be awarded a new cap for each tour and there is no rule for players not to get a replacement from Cricket Australia. But players see the more dilapidated the cap, the more senior the player.

Warner showed his seniority on Sunday, revealing his worn cap in a segment with Ricky Ponting.

“We only got one cap. Back in the day, they used to get one every series. For us, you only get one cap, we wear it with pride,” he told Channel 7.

“It is wear and tear. It does look a bit ugly but it will get repaired. I will get the front bit done, not sure about the top.”

Ponting told fans to back off from criticising Smith and Warner.

David Warner shows his Baggy Green on Channel 7. Photo: Twitter, @7Cricket.

“Everyone’s got their own opinion so the players can have their own opinion,” the Channel 7 commentator said.

“If they’re happy wearing the old cap, wear it. It is no different than a dirty pair of shoes or a bat for a season and a half and the face is all dirty. It is a piece of your equipment that you would feel more comfortable with that than playing in the same baggy green and changing it.

“Smithy is playing this game in a brand new cap, the whole day he was stretching it and getting it to feel right. Each to their own opinion.”

10am: ‘Nasty’ sign Warner is cooked’

Australia’s top order collapsed after David Warner was out for a golden duck on the first ball of the innings on Saturday.

The attacking opener’s miserable start to the summer leaves his Test career on the edge, having failed to record a century since January 2020.

David Warner is still looking for answers. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

It was ugly for Warner on Day 1 when he fended a short-pitched delivery to short leg where he was caught out by Khaya Zondo.

“David Warner just took his eye off the ball and he’s paid the price,” former Australian Test batter Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“Nothing’s gone David Warner’s way – he keeps making mistakes and keeps paying a high price.

“It was nasty … once you take your eye off it, anything can happen.”

Waugh said on Day 2 the dismissal was particularly concerning from a technical point of view with Warner appearing to take his eye off the ball.

10am: Heartbreak for Steve Smith in late twist

Australia looked in real trouble at 3/27 before Steve Smith and Travis Head arrived at the crease.

The pair steadied the ship with a 117-run partnership to tilt the game in Australia’s favour.

Head was particularly impressive, striking a counterattacking half century to be 78 not out at stumps.

It looked like the Aussies were cruising before Smith was clean bowled for 36 by an absolute peach from Anrich Nortje and nightwatchman Scott Boland was caught behind.

Nortje sent Smith’s bails flying towards the boundary rope with arguably the ball of the day.

At stumps, Australia was 5/145, trailing South Africa by just seven runs.