| Second Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground (day one of five) |
| South Africa 189: Jansen 59, Verreynne 52; Green 5-27 |
| Australia 45-1: Warner 32* |
| Australia trail by 144 |
| Scorecard |
All-rounder Cameron Green took five wickets for Australia as they bowled out South Africa for 189 on day one of the second Test at Melbourne.
David Warner then hit an unbeaten 32 as Australia reached 45-1 at stumps.
Green, 23, ended with career-best figures of 5-27, days after becoming the second most-expensive signing in IPL history last week when he joined Mumbai Indians for £1.75m.
England’s Sam Curran was bought by Punjab Kings for £1.85m.
“That’s cricket summed up,” said Green. “You can have a really slow start to the summer and think cricket’s so tough and then you have a few days like this, and it brings you back. It’s a very special feeling.”
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl Australia reduced South Africa to 67-5 before a battling 112-run partnership between Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen.
But Green removed both batters in successive overs – Verreynne caught at slip for 52 and Jansen caught behind for 59 – before bowling Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi in a devastating spell, as the Proteas lost their last five wickets for just 10 runs.
Rabada removed Usman Khawaja early in Australia’s reply but David Warner, in his 100th Test appearance, ended the day alongside Marnus Labuschagne, who is five not out.
“The occasion was awesome, but unfortunately it wasn’t the best day for our team,” said Verreynne.
“I felt it was probably the first time in the past couple of games that we had more soft dismissals than not, and that is probably the most disappointing thing.”
Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0 after beating South Africa inside two days on a green and hostile Gabba pitch in the first Test in Brisbane last week.
