Talking points from day two of the first Test in Durban

ANOTHER historic day of Test cricket was had for star off-spinner Nathan Lyon as the 30-year-old sent an Aussie legend tumbling.

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 02: Nathan Lyon of Australia takes the catch for the wicket of Dean Elgar of the Proteas during day 2 of the 1st Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on March 02, 2018 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

AUSTRALIA has the upper hand at the close of day two after three sessions of tough Test cricket saw the Aussies tally a solid first innings total of 351 before bowling South Africa out for 162 on the stroke of stumps.

Mitchell Starc tore through the South African attack with figures of 5-34, but Nathan Lyon stole the headlines as the Aussie tweaker moved his way up Australia’s all-time lists on his way to figures of 3-50.

A poor turnout on day one had cricketers past and present fearful for the state of Test cricket — and day two wasn’t much better with a handful of spectators dotting the empty 25,000-seat stadium.

Here were the major talking points from day two.

HISTORIC LYON TRUMPS AUSSIE GREAT

He just keeps breaking records.

Steve Smith took a leaf out of the home side’s book and brought some spin on to change it up early in the innings, throwing Nathan Lyon the cherry in the eighth over after openers Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram knocked the shine off the new ball.

The off-spinner took another classic caught-and-bowled off his second delivery, diving to his right and dismissing Dean Elgar after the in-form batsman bunted one back down the pitch.

Elgar fell for seven and brought Hashim Amla to the crease, but the veteran batsman didn’t last long.

Amla fell for a duck in the same over after edging a ball into his pads and offering up a catch to Cameron Bancroft under the lid at short leg.

Amla’s wicket was Lyon’s 292nd in Test cricket, edging him ahead of fast bowler Craig McDermott and becoming the sixth most successful bowler in Australian history behind Brett Lee (310 wickets).

He was also the first tweaker to dismiss Amla for a duck on home soil.

Lyon followed up his brilliance with a sharp delivery clean-bowling Quinton de Kock on 20 late in the day, exposing South Africa’s tail before stumps.

He finished with 3-50 from 16 overs.

Nathan Lyon is the first spin bowler to dismiss Hashim Amla for a duck in South Africa in international cricket
@CricketAus #SAvAUS

— Swamp (@sirswampthing) March 2, 2018

MARSH’S HEARTBREAKING END

‘Bugger.’

After his trailblazing debut century at the WACA in December, Mitchell Marsh shot from zero to hero.

The returning star left critics dumbfounded when news broke of his re-selection into the Aussie Test team — but an explosive level of form, bringing him two centuries, was even more surprising.

All eyes turned to the all-rounder to see if he could replicate his Aussie form overseas in South Africa. Did he succeed? Yes. Did he lose his head and spoil a golden opportunity for a third Test ton? Yes.

Marsh bludgeoned the home side around the park late in his innings as their seamers tired, cutting and driving the ball to — and over — the boundary on his way to 96. The Aussie camp was brimming with excitement as the 26-year-old sat one clean strike away from triple-figures.

But a poorly-timed shot was his doom. Marsh attempted to lift Vernon Philander over mid-on to reach his century but picked out the tallest man on the field — Morne Morkel — who took the catch.

MAHARAJ SNAPS 60-YEAR RECORD

Clean as a whistle.

Keshav Maharaj was South Africa’s wrecking ball in the first innings, taking 5-123 from 33.4 overs, his first five-wicket haul in his 16-Test career.

The 28-year-old’s economical innings had Australia — who traditionally has headaches dealing with left-arm tweakers — in a mess as Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Nathan Lyon fell.

His five-wicket haul on the fresh Durban deck was the first taken by a South African spinner at home since 1958.

Keshav Maharaj is the first South African spinner since 1958 to take a 5-wicket haul in the opening innings of a home Test. #SAvAUS

— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) March 2, 2018