Third Test live updates: Lyon strikes but South Africa dominating after ‘irrational’ decision

Australia has come ROARING back into the contest in Cape Town.

Temba Bavuma, facing only his third ball, has his stumps dismantled by Nathan Lyon.

The off-spin great floats the ball up nicely, Bavuma leans forward to defend, and the ball fizzes past the captain’s bat and crashes into off stump.

As Richie Benaud would say…

Marvellous.

The South Africans passed 200 with only one wicket down. They are now 3-204.

Matthew Breetzke joins David Bedingham in the middle.

Australia has its second wicket at Newlands.

Josh Hazlewood drops one short, Aiden Markram goes for the hook but fails to hit it along the ground, and Mitchell Starc takes an impressive diving catch at fine leg.

South Africa is now 2-203 in the 45th over of its innings.

The Proteas captain, the pint-sized, inspirational Temba Bavuma, walks out to join David Bedingham.

Aiden Markram leans into a cover drive off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling and the ball races away for four to take South Africa past 200.

The Proteas are 1-202 after Pat Cummins won the toss and sent the home side in to bat – a decision that’s looking like a shocker.

Markram has made 77 and David Bedingham is on 27.

Marques Ackerman threw away his wicket on 95.

Boy, did Australia need that.

The Australians have their first wicket. Nathan Lyon is the wicket-taker. Marques Ackerman dances down the pitch on 95, Lyon pushes it wide, Ackerman misses and Alex Carey whips off the bails.

The Proteas are 1-158 in the 32nd over.

Ackerman, playing his second Test, threw away an opportunity to make his maiden Test century there.

He will be kicking himself back in his team’s viewing area.

David Bedingham joins Aiden Markram in the middle.

The players are back on the field for the second session of day one and Nathan Lyon has the ball.

Can Australia make desperately needed inroads over the next couple of hours?

The Proteas are 0-140 after Pat Cummins won the toss and sent the hosts in to bat.

David Warner, who was teammates with almost all of the players representing Australia in this Test, has taken aim at the decision to bowl.

“With that wicket there, the sun’s out, Australia’s way is batting first every day of the week,” the retired great said on Fox Cricket.

“And I’ll tell you what: Travis Head and Matt Renshaw are probably thinking, ‘Gee, love to be batting on this’.”

Mark Waugh’s thoughts on Australia’s start to the Test series decider:

“That was brutal. That was tremendous batting. In the first instance, I give credit to the batters. They’ve hardly mishit a ball. There was the (Aiden) Markram dropped chance, but our bowling has not been tight enough. The pitch is just skidding on beautifully. There’s no swing or seam, and dare I say it, it’s looking like a very bad decision to bowl first by Pat Cummins.”

And that brings to close a woeful first session for Australia.

South Africa is 0-140 at lunch on day one of the deciding Test, after Australian captain Pat Cummins sent the hosts in to bat.

Marques Ackerman has belted 82 off 75 balls and Aiden Markram has made 56.

All four Aussies who’ve had a bowl have been smashed. Mitchell Starc has figures of 0-39 from seven overs, Josh Hazlewood 0-27 off seven, Cummins 0-39 and Nathan Lyon 0-33 from six.

Speaking from the Fox Cricket studio in the lunch break, Kerry O’Keeffe described the decision to bowl as “irrational”.

“Pat’s backed the ‘old firm ’ – Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon – but there was a reason to back them by batting first and bowling second and fourth, and he chose not to do that.”

Aiden Markram handed Australia a gift but Travis Head made a meal of it.

Briefly losing his temperament, Markram tried to hammer Mitchell Starc through cover on the up.

He hit the ball straight to Head but the Aussie opener failed to gobble it up.

While we’re at it, some more criticism of Pat Cummins’ decision to bowl…

And that’s a century stand for the South African openers.

Marques Ackerman has plundered 62 from 66 balls and Aiden Markram has peeled off 39.

Pat Cummins’ decision to send South Africa in to bat is growing more perplexing by the over.

“This is unravelling quickly for Australia,” Simon Katich says in commentary.