Australia fight back after Cummins bowls first, South Africa all out for 329

Cummins chooses to bowl

Pat Cummins won the toss on Tuesday, 27 October, and elected to bowl against South Africa in the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town. The match decides a three-match series that is tied 1-1, after Australia won the Durban opener by 214 runs and South Africa levelled with a win in Gqeberha. South Africa are the defending World Test Championship holders, and both sides are chasing a place in the 2027 final. Australia top the WTC standings ahead of New Zealand and South Africa. TV commentators compared the call with Nasser Hussain's decision to bowl first at Brisbane in 2002, a move that backfired. By one count, this was the ninth time Cummins has chosen to bowl first in 25 opportunities.

Smith ruled out and four changes

Australia made four changes, and the most notable was the late exclusion of Steve Smith, 37, who was ruled out with a neck injury after failing a late fitness test. Smith had been dealing with the problem since the second Test in Gqeberha, and on the first morning his neck was heavily bandaged as he again struggled to bat. Josh Inglis came in to strengthen the middle order, while Cameron Green and Cooper Connolly returned, with Connolly replacing Beau Webster as an allrounder. Nic Maddinson was dropped, Matt Renshaw moved up to open alongside Travis Head, and Nathan Lyon replaced Scott Boland, who had taken a five-wicket haul in the second Test. South Africa made one enforced change, with Gerald Coetzee replacing the injured Anrich Nortje.

Cummins explained the decision on Smith in these words:

“He had another little try this morning but wasn't happy with how his neck was feeling, so we had to look elsewhere.”

South Africa's openers take control

Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman put on 140 without loss by lunch on day one. Markram set the tone with early boundaries, and he pulled Cummins for six when the captain came on to bowl. Ackerman, given a belated chance at the top of the order at the age of 30, went on to reach 95 off 93 balls with 12 fours and two sixes, four of the boundaries coming off successive balls from Mitchell Starc. Travis Head dropped a chance during the innings, and South Africa had moved to 158-0 at one point before reaching 203-1 in the afternoon session.

Australia's bowlers were too often short and too wide early on, and the Newlands pitch offered little swing or lateral movement, which let the openers score freely. Lyon was bowling by the 12th over, earlier than many had expected.

Australia fight back

The fightback came once the openers were separated. Mitchell Starc took four wickets in six balls to dismantle the tail, and South Africa were all out for 329 by the end of the day. After lunch, Australia took 10 wickets for a further 189 runs, turning a day that had looked set for the hosts. Starc's spell changed the balance of the day after the openers had dominated the morning.

What comes next

The third Test will decide a series that stands level at 1-1 after two matches. The Newlands pitch was expected to slow as the game went on, a factor that could shape the batting later in the match. Australia lead the WTC standings ahead of New Zealand and South Africa, and both sides are aiming for a place in the 2027 final. Smith's absence has reshaped the Australian middle order, with Inglis now batting in his place.