South Africa vs Australia 1st Test LIVE Score : South Africa have a big batting challenge on their hands as they look to hunt down Australia’s lead on Day 3 of the first Test in Durban. South Africa will resume on 27/1, with Aiden Markram and David Bedingham at the crease. Australia made a superb recovery with the bat on Day 2, largely thanks to Matt Renshaw . The left-hander slammed a career-best Test score of 190, helping the visitors recover from 124/6 to a first innings score of 390. ( Live Scorecard )
South Africa vs Australia 1st Test Day 3 LIVE Score Updates: Hosts South Africa will aim to hunt down Australia’s first innings lead on Day 3, following Matt Renshaw’s heroics for the visitors.
Work to do for South Africa – The hosts start the day 363 runs adrift, which feels a long way off. The ball is only 8.4 overs old, and the Australian pacers will be fit and raring to go this morning, hoping to peg the home side back early. This will be a test for the Proteas batting unit, who are returning to the Test arena after November 2025 and do not have much red-ball cricket under their belt lately. Rescue act of the highest order – From 124/6 to 390 is a phenomenal effort from Australia. At the heart of it was Matt Renshaw, who has been given a second life as a Test cricketer and made a statement with a career-best 190. Hello, one and all – Welcome to Day 3 at Kingsmead. DAY 3, SESSION 1 … Into the Moving Day we go – Okay then, that’s a wrap from Day 2. The first ball is scheduled for 7.30 am GMT on Sunday, 11th October. Kangaroos hop, Proteas slip – Heading into the day’s final session with the light starting to fade, Harmer needed only a couple of deliveries to pick up the last Aussie wicket, sending back Renshaw for an enterprising 190. That wrapped up the tourists on 390, after the Proteas had toiled through more than 137 overs to get there. He farmed the strike, found the odd boundary and went past his previous Test best of 184 against Pakistan. Marco Jansen’s return ended the 134-run stand with Lyon, but it was only a sliver of relief.
But it won’t be an easy task against an Australian pace attack operating at full strength. Stay tuned, as the first ball is not far away. Pat Cummins gave him strong support before Nathan Lyon stayed with him for a record 9th-wicket stand at this ground, frustrating the Proteas. South Africa had the better of the opening day, but as Australian sides so often do, the visitors hit back on the second day. Moving Day is upon us, and it will most likely decide which way this Test leans. Will Australia tighten their grip, or can the Proteas find a response of their own? Stay with us as we find out. … Australia will feel that they are slightly ahead in the contest and will begin the next day knowing a few quick wickets could put them firmly on top in this match. South Africa, on the other hand, will need to dig deep to eat into the deficit and take the lead. The conditions still look good for batting, with little sign of wear on the pitch, so the hosts will be keen to build on their substantial partnerships to stay in the game. Cheers! With the new swinging ball in hand, the lights on and the overcast skies making things seam friendly, the Australian pace attack needed little time to send Rickelton packing, with Hazlewood drawing first blood. Aiden Markram, though, played a few shots that looked ominous, particularly given how murky the visibility was. It will be interesting to see how the pitch holds up on day three. Aussie resistance outlasts Proteas – Come the afternoon session, the pitch eased a touch without losing its sideways movement. To be very fair, the South African bowlers did little wrong, but Renshaw absorbed all of it, blunting both the old ball and the new. His partners deserve a share of the credit, with Cummins good, Lyon great and Hazlewood decent. South Africa’s bowlers were left punctured, and not even the extended half-hour brought a wicket.
So join us a little earlier for the build-up and all the latest updates. Aiden Markram and David Bedingham got through a tricky phase in fading light late yesterday and will look to build on that. A sizeable chunk of overs were lost to bad light, but there will be no early start tomorrow. Instead, just like today, the sessions will be extended to make up for the overs lost.
Renshaw refused to budge – The day more or less belonged to Renshaw, who turned a stuttering innings into a statement knock to remember by scoring his first Test ton since 2017. Renshaw and Pat Cummins stretched their stand to 96 by rotating the strike and picking off the odd boundary, until Mulder broke it, which raised South African hopes of keeping the Aussies under 250. 2.43 pm GMT – There is the official word. If Day 1 belonged to South Africa, with the pace attack setting the marker, Day 2 was all about an Australian fightback. 2.31 pm GMT – The umpires are still out in the middle, putting their heads together for a discussion.
Game stopped due to : Bad Light 2.26 pm GMT – Bad light stops play – The umpires take out the light meter and a reading is taken. Stumps are yet to be officially confirmed, but it would be a big surprise to see any more action this evening, with conditions getting dark by the minute. A hundred was built on patience, soaking up a bouncer barrage and some tight spells from Wiaan Mulder and Anrich Nortje. However, Renshaw kept fighting and got more than decent support from Nathan Lyon to see off the first session with some solace. STUMPS ARE CALLED in Durban, with bad light and gloomy overhead conditions bringing the day to an early close. And as we speak, the groundsmen are hauling on the covers to protect the pitch and the square. Most of us saw this coming, and that is that for the day’s play. Quite a dampener, to say the least, considering how gripping the day overall was. Matt Renshaw played a majestic knock that sparked the comeback, and a sensational lower order resistance dragged the Aussies out of deep trouble. Bad light stops play for now. But the Aussies seem in no hurry to head off, and Cummins pauses for a word with Richard Kettleborough before walking off the field. It does not look promising, and this could well be it for the day, as the players are seen shaking hands before walking off, but we will wait for the official word. Hard-length delivery, at the stumps, David Bedingham tucks it to square leg. Back of a length, outside off, David Bedingham leaves it alone. Full delivery wider of off, seam nipping back into the right-hander. Bedingham opens the blade to force a drive through the off-side, but catches a thick outer edge. The ball bounces off the practice pitches, gaining extra lift and leaping over the outstretched hands of gully. Two runs taken! Cummins serves it on a good length, keeping the line outside off. David Bedingham prods to cover the off stump and shoulders arms at it. The light is fading by the minute, and Cummins has been spotted in conversation with the umpire, most likely about the conditions. We might soon see the spinners summoned, with the light not safe enough for the quicks to bowl. But for now, Pat Cummins brings himself into the attack, replacing Mitchell Starc. Hits the deck hard, does Hazlewood, over off, Aiden Markram gets behind the line and rests it down. Good length, outside off, Aiden Markram fends it away. A touch fuller, on off, Aiden Markram offers a back foot defence, but gets nicked off the outside edge before it rolls past the backward point fielder for a brace.
