Mulder strikes at the stroke of lunch to make it South Africa's morning
Wiaan Mulder opened the bowling in helpful conditions and had two wickets before lunch • Getty Images
Lunch Australia 84 for 3 (Labuschagne 37, Smith 25*, Mulder 2-17) vs South Africa
Nic Maddinson's left-field selection as an opener did not pay off after he made a 33-ball duck in the first session of the much-anticipated Test series in Durban, where South Africa's new-look attack troubled Australia's under-pressure top order.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith steadied Australia with a 60-run partnership as honours appeared even after the openers, Maddinson and Travis Head, hadn't done much, but Labuschagne fell on the last ball before lunch when he was trapped lbw by Wiaan Mulder. He trudged off the field having reviewed unsuccessfully.
It was a disappointment for Australia, who had recovered after a tough start.
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With allrounder Cameron Green ruled out with injury and Maddinson selected over Cooper Connolly, all 11 Australia players were 30 and above to further raise questions about the team's future.
All eyes were on Maddinson, who played all three of his previous Tests almost a decade ago and returned to first-class cricket after 579 days, having last played in March 2025.
Maddinson was predictably rusty and his tortured 50-minute stay at the crease ended when he chopped on to left-arm quick Marco Jansen. It capped a dominant opening hour for South Africa with Head failing to fire, caught down the leg side to an innocuous delivery from Mulder.
South Africa's seam attack, boasting speedster Anrich Nortje, who returned to Test cricket after three-and-a-half years, found a dangerous length on a surface offering extra bounce and movement.
Smith counter-attacked by whacking frontline spinner Keshav Maharaj for a couple of sixes and his presence rubbed off on the much-criticised Labuschagne, who clung on to his spot in the XI having not made a Test century since the 2023 Ashes tour.
Australia had hoped for a better start in sunny conditions after skipper Pat Cummins had no hesitation to bat when the coin fell in his favour. It meant Maddinson had to get down to work immediately, having been moved to open with Matt Renshaw shifting down to No. 5.
Maddinson's selection was quite remarkable after he had undergone treatment for testicular cancer last year. He could not produce a fairy tale return after being pinned down by Jansen and Mulder, who was handed the new ball because of his swing prowess.
Without Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, Jansen loomed as South Africa's talisman but he could not initially find his radar in a relief for Maddinson, who constantly fell across to the off side.
Maddinson had a major slice of luck in the fourth over when he was hit on the pads by Mulder but South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma decided not to review, believing there had been an inside edge. But Maddinson did not hit the ball and ball-tracking confirmed that it would have smashed into leg stump.
With Maddinson unable to score, the pressure fell on Head, who had been mostly watching from the non-striker's end. He could not find rhythm and fell in disappointing fashion on a successful review for a relieved Bavuma.
Maddinson's misery ended when he got a thick inside edge to an attempted cut shot that knocked back the off stump, his Test average dropping to 5.4.
Smith walked out and received little hostility from the sparse fans in the terraces in low-key scenes after the hype over Australia's Test return to South Africa since the infamous sandpaper scandal in 2018.
After scoring just 5 runs off his first 27 balls, Smith sparked to life when he decided to not let Maharaj settle. He skipped down the track and smashed him into the grassbanks before a slightly less convincing slap over long-off.
Labuschagne settled nicely after a shaky start where he was hit on the pads by Jansen as South Africa burnt a review but he could not go on with it.
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