Third Test live updates: South Africa dominating after ‘irrational’ Cummins decision to bowl

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”.

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.

Simon Katich has blasted Australia’s selectors for dropping Scott Boland – and joked that a “revolt” may be unfolding in the cult hero’s home state.

“I’d be surprised if there’s not a revolt happening at the moment in Victoria,” Katich said on SuperSport.

“That man on screen, Scotty Boland – I don’t know what more he could do. And think about the message it sends, too. He applied himself as you’d expect from Scotty Boland – brilliant with the ball (in the second Test), and then with the bat, soaking up 166 balls when Australia needed that grit and determination. To then lose his spot, I just don’t get it.”

Katich argued Boland should have been picked instead of Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood was preferred despite having struggled physically in Gqeberha, and despite Boland’s superior Test record, albeit from far fewer matches.

“I think he had to play,” Katich said.

“He was comfortably our best bowler in (Gqeberha).

“They always talk about him being hard to leave out of this team, and I understand that given the respect the rest of this bowling group has and what they’ve achieved in the game, but it’s very hard to leave a man out who applied himself in that fashion when that is exactly what this team needs – it needs a lot more grit and determination.”

The first session is growing increasingly ugly for Australia.

The Proteas have made their way to 50 unscathed, with Marques Ackerman working a Nathan Lyon ball through midwicket and picking up two.

Michael Vaughan, like Simon Katich, is also baffled by Pat Cummins’ decision to bowl.

“Worrying signs here for Australia,” Katich says on SuperSport.

Nathan Lyon is into the attack very early at Newlands, taking the ball after only 10 overs.

The off-spin great was dropped for the second Test in Gqeberha. He now gets an opportunity with Australia searching for an early wicket.

The Proteas are 0-41, with Aiden Markram on 23 and Marques Ackerman on 17.

Oh dear.

Aiden Markram has just pumped Pat Cummins for six in the captain’s first over.

With minimal footwork – and quite a bit of swagger – Markram rocked back and pulled the Aussie captain over the leg-side boundary for a maximum.

“This is a statement to the captain, Pat Cummins,” former South African captain Graeme Smith said on the SuperSport coverage.

“Bang! Fetch that on.”

Pat Cummins has injected himself into the attack after seven overs.

Suffice to say, the skipper is under enormous pressure to find a breakthrough wicket in his first spell given he elected to bowl and Australia’s fruitless start.

South Africa is 0-24 after 30 minutes of play.