Pat Cummins picked up three wickets as Australia built a 139-run lead over South Africa by stumps on Day 3 of the first Test in Durban on Sunday.Australia’s bowlers shared the wickets as South Africa were dismissed for 284 in their first innings. Cummins finished with figures of 3/54, while Mitchell Starc (2/63), Josh Hazlewood (2/54) and Nathan Lyon (2/58) took two wickets each.Australia had posted 390 in their first innings, with Matt Renshaw scoring a career-best 190 to help the visitors recover from 124/6.Australia began their second innings and reached 33/0 in 5.4 overs before bad light forced another early end to the day’s play. Nearly 13 overs were lost, with Nic Maddinson unbeaten on 17 and Travis Head on 10 at the crease.David Bedingham top-scored for South Africa with 49 off 73 balls. The hosts were struggling at 197/8 before Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer added 52 runs for the ninth wicket to limit the damage. Maharaj made 34, while Harmer remained unbeaten on 35.South Africa are the reigning World Test champions, having beaten Australia in the 2025 final. This is Australia’s first tour of the country since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.Cummins leads Australia’s bowling effortSouth Africa resumed Day 3 at 27/1 and reached 115/4 by lunch. Aiden Markram and Bedingham added 57 runs to their overnight partnership before Starc dismissed Markram for 37 in the 21st over, with the opener edging the ball to slip.South Africa scored 59 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first hour. In the next session, captain Temba Bavuma fell for three while attempting a reverse sweep against Lyon. Steve Smith took the catch.Cummins then dismissed Bedingham, who edged the ball to slip, where Smith took another catch, diving to his left.After lunch, Cummins struck again to remove Wiaan Mulder for 30 off 50 balls, including three fours and a six. Mulder had added 56 runs with Tristan Stubbs before his dismissal.Stubbs followed soon after for 32, caught at square leg off Cummins. Lyon then had Kyle Verreynne caught at slip for 13 as South Africa slipped to 197/7.Marco Jansen struck six fours in a 20-ball 26 before he was caught off Hazlewood, leaving South Africa at 238/8 at tea.Maharaj and Harmer kept the innings going and took South Africa past the follow-on mark with their ninth-wicket partnership. Their stand reached 52 before Starc dismissed Maharaj.
