CAPE TOWN – The Proteas offset the early loss of opener Aiden Markram to head to lunch on the first morning of the third Test on 75/1 at Newlands.
Markram was dismissed for a duck, caught by Australian captain Steve Smith at second slip off Josh Hazlewood, but Dean Elgar (40 not out) and Hashim Amla (31 not out) ensured there would be no further scares after Proteas captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat.
The Australian bowlers kept a tight line and length, but there was no significant movement off the pitch or through the air on a glorious Cape Town Thursday morning to assist the seam bowlers.
Earlier, the Proteas made two changes to their line-up with Temba Bavuma and Morne Morkel included in the starting line-up at the expense of Theunis de Bruyn and Lungi Ngidi.
Australia named an unchanged team from the first two Test matches.
Aiden Markram was sent back to the dressing room for a duck. Photo: Phandulwazi Jikelo/ANA Pictures
South Africa:
Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel
Australia:
David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
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