Australia Takes Command in Third Test Against South Africa with 429 Runs
Australia leads by 100 runs after posting 429 in the third Test against South Africa, who are 140 for 4 in their second innings.
Cape Town, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : South Africa has gained an upper hand in the third and decisive Test match at Newlands, Cape Town, as they concluded day three of the series. After scoring 329 runs in their first innings, they managed to restrict Australia to 429 runs. By the end of the day, South Africa had reached 140 runs, losing four wickets in their second innings.
Batting first after losing the toss, South Africa posted 329 runs. Aiden Markram and Marcus Ackermann formed a strong opening partnership, adding 158 runs for the first wicket. Ackermann scored 95 runs, hitting 14 boundaries before getting out. Markram contributed 78 runs with one six and ten fours, while David Beddingham added 50 runs. However, the team struggled after losing six wickets for just 232 runs.
Ryan Rickelton, alongside Marco Jansen, salvaged the innings, adding 95 runs for the seventh wicket and bringing the total to 329. Rickelton scored 42 runs, while Jansen contributed 52. For Australia, Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler, claiming six wickets for 72 runs, with Nathan Lyon taking two.
In response, Australia built a solid first innings total of 429 runs, achieving a lead of 100 runs. They lost Travis Head (41) and Marnus Labuschagne (0) early, at a score of 58. Matt Renshaw steadied the innings, forming a 126-run partnership with Cameron Green for the third wicket. Renshaw scored 74 runs, while Green made 65 with ten boundaries.
Josh Inglis played a pivotal role, scoring 102 runs, and partnered with Alex Carey, who added 80 runs for the fifth wicket, propelling the team to a substantial score. Simon Harmer was the leading wicket-taker for South Africa with four wickets, while Marco Jansen claimed three.
On the third day, South Africa resumed batting but lost two wickets for just 31 runs. Captain Temba Bavuma, with 35 runs, attempted to stabilize the innings by adding 64 runs with Ackermann for the third wicket. Bavuma also partnered with Matthew Britzke, adding 36 runs for the fourth wicket. By day’s end, Britzke remained not out on 19, while Rickelton scored 8. For Australia, Starc took two wickets, with Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon each claiming one.
