Markram century puts hosts on top before Australia fight back

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Aiden Markram struck a fourth Test century in just his 10th match to help South Africa reach 313/6 at stumps on day one of the fourth Test against Australia in Johannesburg. After a build-up dominated by the Australian ball-tampering scandal, Markram's brilliant innings forced the focus to turn back towards cricket.

With Markram and AB de Viliers at the crease and the score at 247/2 the hosts were in control, but a fightback, led by Pat Cummins (3/53), saw Australia take late wickets and finish well on a tough day in the field.

Having won the last two Tests to take an unassailable 2-1 lead coming into the final match, South Africa were unsurprisingly unchanged. Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat first, meaning the retiring Morne Morkel would have to wait to get his hands on the ball.

With Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft banned, Australia brought in Matthew Renshaw, Joe Burns and Peter Handscomb to bolster the batting, while Chadd Sayers made his debut in place of Mitchell Starc, who has a leg injury.

After a solid start by openers Markram and Dean Elgar, the introduction of spinner Nathan Lyon did the trick, with Elgar presenting a leading edge to Sayers to depart for 19 with the score on 53/1.

Australia toiled in the field, but Josh Hazlewood, Cummins and Sayers couldn't make further inroads before lunch as the Proteas reached the interval on 88/1, with Markram reaching a fourth Test half-century in 90 balls.

Debutant Sayers found movement - and earned comparisons to Vernon Philander due to his pace and bowling style - but couldn't find a first Test wicket.

South Africa continued on their merry way in the afternoon session, with Markram dominating the scoring, before Cummins nipped the ball off the seam to have Hashim Amla caught brilliantly by Handscomb in the slip cordon for 27.

That only brought de Villiers to the crease, however, and he combined well with the increasingly confident Markram to put on a 105-run partnership. Markram, whose innings was punctuated by several easy-on-the-eye drives, soon brought up his century from 152 balls and he looked keen for more.

The 23-year-old is not one to fall straight after reaching three figures. His previous centuries read: 143, 125, 143, but he would have been targeting a maiden 150. He edged just short of the slips off Sayers and survived an lbw review from Cummins, but he largely batted serenely, looking especially fluent through the offside.

Markram carved through the offside to reach the landmark but fell straight after as Cummins had him held by Mitchell Marsh at gully. The opener left the field to a standing ovation, but one quickly became two for the Proteas as skipper du Plessis misjudged his first ball, shouldering arms to depart lbw and leave his side 247/4.

As second-highest run-scorer only behind Markram, de Villiers has been a familiar thorn in the side of Australia throughout this series, and he continued to look comfortable, reaching another half-century in a stand of 52 with Temba Bavuma before a late Aussie fightback.

Australia took the new ball and after a couple of non-threatening overs from Hazlewood and Sayers, the debutant picked up his first Test wicket.

De Villiers played an expansive drive but only managed a thin inside edge, with captain Tim Paine taking the catch behind the stumps. De Villiers reviewed but replays confirmed the umpire's original decision and he walked off having made 69 from 119 balls.

South Africa sent out a nightwatchman, but the tactic did not work as Kagiso Rabada chipped Sayers (2/64) to Renshaw at short mid-off.

Quinton de Kock (7*) joined Bavuma (25*) and the duo took South Africa past the 300 mark and made it through to stumps without any scares, putting on 14 runs in the closing 4.2 overs.