AUS VS RSA - 1st Test, South Africa tour of Australia, 2022-23

That wraps up our coverage of the first Test between Australia and South Africa. The hosts take a 1-0 lead in a Test that lasted just two days!! The last time we played a two day Test was the rank turner in Ahmedabad, will there be a similar post-mortem to this game? We'll find out soon enough, either way it's a blessing in disguise that these remarkable quicks get a few days off before the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. That should be another cracking contest, hopefully a more even bat and ball contest. See you then, for now this is Saurabh Shankar signing off on behalf of Sagar Chawla and Vinod Kumar.

Pat Cummins: Tricky wicket. I thought the way Head and Smith batted got us to this winning position. (On the pitch being difficult) I'm a bowler so you're asking the wrong person. But it was a difficult wicket, credit to Head for the way he batted - almost scored a hundred. (On Mitch Starc) He's a huge member of our team, shows his longevity and he keeps getting better and better. Looking forward to a few days off, spending Christmas and then ready for the Boxing Day Test, that is always a big occasion.

Dean Elgar: Another 60 runs and we would have been in the game. Still trying to wrap my head around what's happened. Pretty spicy wicket, bowlers were licking their lips. Challenging for the batters which is okay, but on the flipside I don't see this as a fair contest. In fairness, I don't think we could prepare any better. Conditions weren't in favour for the batters, the partnership between Smith and Head made the difference. We've got an unplanned extra three days, that's good. When you've got two quality bowling attacks, people want to watch that but they want to watch it for all five days.

Travis Head | Player of the Match: Very difficult wicket, plenty for the bowlers. We saw that the whole game. Nice to be able to contribute and get a win. When we were batting, the conversation was to stay positive and they bowled in the right areas. We knew we had to play and miss, just hope we get a bit luck. This was one of the most challenging wickets I've played on. Look forward to having a few days off to recover.

16:48 Local Time, 06:48 GMT, 12:18 IST: A valiant fight by Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, but let's face it. A target of 34 was never enough!! Still, Rabada exploited the pitch and troubled the Aussie batters with his back of a length bowling. That's how he got all four wickets, and Australia would have felt a few nerves but SA gifted too many extras trying to bounce out the opposition. In the end, they got there with six wickets in the bag. It was a bowler's paradise, a spicy wicket where bounce and seam movement was making it too difficult. South Africa in the first innings countered through Verreyenne's fifty, but most others around him were too tepid as Starc and Lyon picked three apiece. Australia also found it tough, and in hindsight it was a counter-attacking 92 from Travis Head that proved to be the difference between the two sides. Maybe that is the blueprin to play on a pitch that has so much to offer. Australia took a 66 run lead after the first innings, and South Africa barely gave a fight in their second innings. Khaya Zondo was looking resolute, and remained unbeaten but the rest around him were blown away by pace, with Pat Cummins getting a fifer. Australia then chased things down within eight overs, albeit after losing four wickets. A two day Test match, the question to be asked is will questions be asked of this pitch now? Stick around for the presentations.

Nortje to Green, 5 wides, Game, set, match! Short again, and too short even for the tallest Aussie player Cam Green. All he has to do is duck under and Verreyenne behind the stumps didn't stand a chance. Winning runs come as extras for Australia. 19 extras while chasing 34

Nortje to Labuschagne, 1 run, back of a length on off, Labuschagne with a cute tap and run towards covers

Nortje to Labuschagne, no run, very full on off, Labuschagne drives it straight and Nortje gets a finger as he crashes into the non-striker's stumps. Green never left his crease!

Nortje to Labuschagne, no run, back of a length and wider, left alone

Nortje to Labuschagne, no run, fuller on middle, pushed towards mid-on

Nortje to Labuschagne, no run, beaten! Length ball that teases Labuschagne outside off

Nortje to Labuschagne, 5 wides, oops! Once again too high and bounces over the keeper as Labuschagne ducks down. These extras after helping SA

Rabada to Green, no run, fuller on middle, blocked to short leg

Rabada to Green, no run, back of a length on off, Green defends from his crease

Cameron Green, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Rabada to Head, out Caught by Verreynne!! Wow! That's another one. Short pitched on the body, angles down the leg side. Just like the first innings, Head gloves it through to the keeper. Just like Verreynne who starred for SA in the first innings but got a duck in the second, Australia's first innings star walks back without scoring. Australia are bound to feel some nerves now.. Head c Verreynne b Rabada 0(1)

Rabada to Head, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Rabada to Head, 5 wides, Rabada tries to test out the new batter with the short one. Sadly too high and goes over the keeper's head for five wides

Travis Head, left handed bat, comes to the crease

Rabada to Smith, out Caught by Verreynne!! Edged & Gone!! An unlike Steven Smith shot as he goes chasing after a short, wide one, trying to slash it over the infield. Gets an edge and Verreynne does the rest. As unlikely as it seems, it there still life in this Test match? Smith c Verreynne b Rabada 6(5) [4s-1]