Australia’s cricketers will need to triumph in a war of attrition if they’re to win the second Test against South Africa and wrap up a series victory in Port Elizabeth.
The Proteas were 5-214 at stumps on day one of a contest where terms have been dictated by a very dry pitch described as slow and flat by Nathan Lyon.
The turgid struggle on Thursday was typified by robust resistance from recalled opener Dean Elgar and exhaustive pressure from the Australian attack.
In the end, after almost five hours and 83 runs from 193 balls by the left-hander dumped from Cricket South Africa’s central contract list this week, the latter won.
Elgar chased his third six off Lyon late in the final session but it was the wrong shot to the wrong ball at the wrong time.
The same can be said of 21-year-old debutant Quinton de Kock’s dismissal to the leg-spin of Steve Smith, which left the game on even terms when stumps were pulled 19 minutes early due to bad light.
Proteas skipper Graeme Smith, out early along with Hashim Amla as the hosts slumped to 2-11, insisted there had been no pre-match pitch demands.
But by happenstance or not, St George’s Park was the antithesis of Centurion where Mitchell Johnson was often unplayable in a resounding 281-run Australian win.
“It’s pretty much the slowest I’ve seen PE play,” Elgar said of the subcontinental-like strip that lacked bounce and carry.
“Generally it’s quite nice to bat on in the beginning stages and it gets tougher and tougher. Today, it just seemed to start off pretty tough.
“It was hard graft.”
Elgar, who made a pair on Test debut against Australia in 2012, took 42 minutes to get off the mark and was twice struck on the shoulder by Johnson.
He formed partnerships of 112 and 48 with Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers (51 not out) respectively.
Lyon ended the Proteas’ best partnership of the series when he removed du Plessis for 55, the breakthrough coming on the first ball after the second-session drinks break.
“Test match cricket is all about patience. It’s a real mental game and if we can outlast the opposition, then fingers crossed it will go our way,” said Lyon, who took 2-47 from 23 overs.
“There wasn’t much going on there, even with the new ball.
“It was good to get a couple of (late) breakthroughs.
“A couple of loose shots on behalf of the South Africans probably helped, but that comes down to us bowling with patience and good pressure.”
Lyon sad he was very surprised South Africa dropped left-arm finger spinner Robin Peterson.
The Proteas made three changes, promoting Elgar, de Kock and Wayne Parnell at the expense of Peterson, Alviro Petersen (gastro) and Ryan McLaren (concussion).
Duminy will resume on two alongside de Villiers, with Australia to take the second new ball on Friday.