The world’s No. 1 Test team Australia is currently engaged in a three-match Test series against South Africa. The first match of the series started at the Gabba on Saturday (December 17), and on Day 1 itself, the Aussies showed their class by dismissing the visitors for just 152 runs in the first innings. For the Baggy Greens at their fortress, star pacer Mitchell Starc and legendary spinner Nathan Lyon picked up the highest number of wickets with three each. And they were complimented by Scott Boland and skipper Pat Cummins, who also got rid of two Proteas batters each.
The three-match series is expected to be a hard-fought one because both teams are in contention to secure a place in the World Test Championship final, and by winning the duel, they would want to increase their chances.
During the first day’s play of the opening Test, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting predicted that Australian spinner Nathan Lyon would take a wicket, and the third most successful bowler in Test cricket for the Australians proved him right by dismissing South African batter Marco Jansen.
The incident happened during the 40th over of South Africa’s innings, when Jansen was batting at a score of two runs. Just before the dismissal, Ponting was talking about the pressure that Lyon created on the batter by tempting him to play over the top. The former Australian captain predicted a wicket, and on the very next ball, Lyon got his man in the very same way.
It was not the first time that Ponting had made such a prediction that turned out to be true. During the India tour of Australia in 2020-21 as well, he accurately predicted a flaw in Indian opener Prithvi Shaw’s technique and even before his dismissal revealed the manner in which he would get bowled by the Aussie pacer.
Talking about the match, then, in reply to South Africa’s first inning total, Australia too had a forgetful start and they lost the first three batters for just 27 runs in 9.2 overs, but from there on, former skipper Steve Smith and No. 5 batter Travis Head started the rescue work and added more than 100 runs for the fourth wicket. The Aussies have reached 136 for three after 30 overs.
