Elgar stands firm but Cummins makes it Australia's day
Day one at Newlands was the story of two men, as Dean Elgar (121*) batted valiantly to register his 11th Test century, only for a four-wicket salvo from Pat Cummins (4/64) in the final session to leave Australia the happier of the two sides, with South Africa 266/8 at stumps.
At 220/2 shortly after tea, and with Elgar and AB de Villiers (64) well set, the Proteas were building an imposing total. Australia's pacemen appeared short of ideas on a pitch offering little assistance, with their attack leader Mitchell Starc having a rare off day. But Cummins produced a game-changing performance, bending his back and bowling with pace, intelligence and stamina to deliver a masterclass of how to bowl with the old ball.
When he was brought back into the attack in the eighth over after tea, the right-arm quick had the unimpressive figures of 13-1-52-0. Fast forward 90 minutes and he had entirely changed the course of the game, and perhaps the whole series, bowling a sensational spell of 8-3-12-4 as he ripped through South Africa's middle order.
After the early loss of Aiden Markram for an 11-ball duck – edging a Josh Hazlewood delivery which angled across him to Steve Smith at second slip, with Australia's captain taking an excellent low catch – Elgar and Hashim Amla (31) had safely negotiated the rest of the morning session, leaving the hosts 75/1 at lunch after Faf du Plessis had won the toss and elected to bat.
Hazlewood had been the pick of the bowlers in the morning and he took his second wicket shortly after the interval, bouncing out Amla with a surprise short delivery which South Africa's No.3 could only top edge to Cummins at fine leg.
Elgar was given a huge reprieve when Nathan Lyon spilled a simple chance at point off Hazlewood when on 53 and the nuggety opener made Australia pay for the missed opportunity. His bat-carrying 86* against India at The Wanderers in January was as tough an innings as Test cricket can throw up – and this hundred, his second against the Aussies, evoked that performance. If he carries his bat in this innings he'll become just the second opener after Desmond Haynes to achieve the feat on three occasions in Test matches.
Elgar was struck on the helmet and the forearm and subjected to all kinds of rough treatment in the afternoon session but he rode it out and identified his moments to score, taking Lyon for 10 in an over and generally milking the off-spinner throughout the day, using his feet, clumping him over long on and driving him through the covers.
However, Elgar's performance, magnificent as it was, was put it in the shade somewhat by Cummins' afternoon exploits.
De Villiers had picked up where he left off at Port Elizabeth, whipping a boundary through straight mid-wicket to get going before carving Hazlewood up and over the infield. But he became Cummins' first victim when he spooned a loose drive to David Warner at mid-off after being given the hurry up. Given the chaos that followed, it was the moment of the match so far.
The out of sorts du Plessis was next go. The Proteas skipper had a highest score of 15 in the series coming into the match and he was a third of the way there when Cummins bowled a great over to him, hitting the splice four times in five, making him play down the corridor, and then hitting the seam on a wider one that du Plessis fended to Smith at slip.
Temba Bavuma lasted only 12 deliveries before the same Cummins-Smith combination saw the back of him, and then Quinton de Kock was dismissed by the same bowler for just 3 after swishing at a short-pitched delivery and feathering through to Tim Paine behind the stumps.
The phlegmatic Elgar could only watch from the other end as Mitchell Marsh found Vernon Philander's edge with some reverse-swing with the old ball and Keshav Maharaj had a brain-fade as he swatted the ball to Cameron Bancroft at extra cover to give Starc his first wicket.
Bad light brought an early close to proceedings after a day which mirrored day one of the previous Test, only with the roles reversed. On day one in Port Elizabeth, Kagiso Rabada dismantled Australia after their batsmen had made a strong start, setting the tone for a series-levelling victory.
South Africa's bowlers will need to be somewhere near their best on day two if they are to prevent Cummins' burst from having the same effect.