Powered by Aiden Markram’s unbeaten century and Temba Bavuma’s solid half-century, South Africa ended Day 3 at 213/2 in their chase of 282 runs against defending champions Australia. Markram is batting on 102* and Bavuma on 65*, with South Africa now needing just 69 more runs for victory.
Australia Set 282-Run Target
Australia began their second innings on Day 3 at 145/8, with a lead of 219 runs. Thanks to a resilient half-century by Mitchell Starc and a useful 43-run knock from Alex Carey, Australia were eventually bowled out for 207, setting South Africa a target of 282.
Markram-Bavuma Forge Unbeaten 143-Run Partnership
South Africa had a shaky start in the chase. Opener Ryan Rickelton was dismissed for just 6 runs by Starc, and Wiaan Mulder fell for 27, also to Starc. With the score at 70/2, South Africa desperately needed a solid partnership. Markram and Bavuma rose to the occasion, stitching together an unbeaten 143-run stand that took their team past the 200-run mark.
Related: South Africa vs Australia Test Head to Head Stats, Records, Timeline
Australia’s Second Innings Recap
Australia’s second innings ended at 207. Earlier, they had posted 212 in the first innings after losing the toss and being put in to bat. South Africa, in reply, were bundled out for 138, giving Australia a 69-run lead. Including the second innings, Australia’s total lead reached 281 runs.
Mitchell Starc was the star performer for Australia, scoring 58* off 136 balls, including five boundaries. He added 61 runs with Alex Carey for the eighth wicket, 14 with Nathan Lyon for the ninth, and 59 runs with Josh Hazlewood for the final wicket. Hazlewood contributed 17 runs.
Other notable contributions in Australia’s second innings included:
- Marnus Labuschagne – 22
- Steve Smith – 13
- Usman Khawaja – 6
- Travis Head – 9
- Beau Webster – 9
- Pat Cummins – 6
- Cameron Green – 0
- Nathan Lyon – 2
Alex Carey scored 43 off 50 balls, hitting five fours.
For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada took 4 wickets, Lungi Ngidi grabbed 3, while Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, and Aiden Markram took one each.