Shaun Marsh arrived on tour just in time to make a century for Australia and turn around the first day of the opening Test against South Africa on Wednesday with a priceless 122 not out.
Marsh’s lifted Australia convincingly from 24-2 and 98-4 to 297-4 at stumps at SuperSport Park.
Marsh rebuilt the innings with the help of Steve Smith, who was 91 not out in a 199-run partnership for the fifth-wicket that took the Aussies through most of the last two sessions without loss. They had made a careless start and were in trouble when captain Michael Clarke was bounced out by Dale Steyn for the fourth wicket just after lunch.
But Marsh’s innings, off 232 balls with 12 thundering fours, undid the early strikes from South Africa’s quick bowlers, with Steyn leading a withering attack at the end with 2-54 on a ground the Proteas have lost just once on in 18 Tests.
Morne Morkel had 1-56 and Vernon Philander was wicketless.
Marsh survived a dropped catch on 12 and another near-miss with a lofted drive just over the infield, but his greatest battle may have been against jet lag after only arriving in South Africa on Sunday morning. He was thrown into the team alongside debutant Alex Doolan, and both arrived at the middle in Centurion with the tourists under pressure at 15-1 and 24-2.
Steyn and Morne Morkel initially vindicated their captain’s toss decision with the quick wickets of openers David Warner and Chris Rogers.
Warner made a typically bullish start by punching two fours through the offside, and then chopped a Steyn delivery onto his stumps on 12 while attempting another attacking shot. Rogers was hit by a bouncer on Morkel’s first delivery and next ball popped up to short leg, where JP Duminy made a diving one-handed catch and sent the opener back for 4.
Doolan found his range in his first Test innings with five fours and forced the South Africans to bring Ryan McLaren into the attack. Only, approaching lunch and in the midst of a promising debut, Doolan hit a powerful pull off a tempting short ball from McLaren at short midwicket to Robin Peterson, who caught it two-handed as he dived to his left.
Steyn picked up his second when he set up Clarke with a couple of short balls just after lunch and the Aussie skipper eventually went for one and was caught at fine-leg by Philander to bring Smith out to join Marsh.
That was South Africa’s last success of the opening day of the three-match contest as the Australians won round one.
