Mitchell Starc finished with figures of 5-34 off 10.4 overs
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Australia left South Africa in shambles on the second day in Durban courtesy of left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc’s five-wicket haul and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s superb 96.
Starting off the day on 225/5, Australia lost wicketkeeper Tim Paine early on as he was caught behind off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada for 25.
Pat Cummins fell shortly after, but Marsh and Mitchell Starc halted the Proteas’ charge with a 49-run partnership before Starc was clean bowled by Keshav Maharaj for a 25-ball 35.
Marsh and Nathan Lyon added another 41 runs to the score before Marsh was caught by Morne Morkel at mid-on off the bowling of Vernon Philander for 96, which came off 173 balls and included 13 boundaries and a six.
Mitchell Marsh fell four runs short of his third Test century
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Australia ended up being bowled out for 351 when Lyon was caught by Theunis de Bruyn at cover off the bowling of Mahraj for 12 runs.
Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with five wickets, while Philander snapped up three and Rabada chipped in with two.
Keshav Maharaj took his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket
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Trailing by 351 runs, South Africa lost opener Dean Elgar in the eighth over as he was caught and bowled by Lyon for seven runs.
Lyon struck again three balls later as Hashim Amla was caught by Cameron Bancroft at short leg for a duck.
Elgar’s opening partner, Aiden Markram, managed to make 32 before he was caught by Bancroft at short leg off the bowling of Cummins.
Starc took over from that point as he started his rampage with the dismissal of captain Faf du Plessis, who was caught behind for 15.
De Bruyn suffered the same fate as Du Plessis, while wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock was cleaned up by Lyon for 20.
Starc then proceeded to mop up the tailenders, which led to the Proteas being skittled out for a disappointing 162. This gave Australia a 189-run lead.
While South Africa’s batsmen crumbled, the only player who stood tall was AB de Villiers as he scored an unbeaten 71, which came off 127 balls and included 11 boundaries.
AB de Villiers scored his 43rd Test fifty
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As soon as South Africa were bowled out, the umpires brought play to an end for the day.
Starc was the most successful bowler with five wickets, while Lyon took three. As for Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, they claimed one wicket each.
Australia will begin their second innings on Saturday at 10:00 local time or 08:00 GMT.