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

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.

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.

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.