Nic Maddinson’s return as opener ended in a 33-ball duck as Australia’s reshuffled top order faltered in Durban
Matt Renshaw moved to No. 5 and remained unbeaten on 46, guiding Australia’s recovery at Kingsmead
Pat Cummins won the toss and batted first, but Australia slipped to 124 for 6 before the seventh-wicket stand
Australia's reshuffled batting order stumbled badly in Durban on October 9, 2026, in the first Test, but the match also marked Australia's return to Test cricket in South Africa since the 2018 sandpaper scandal. There were no real on-and-off field fireworks to match the rivalry, yet in front of a smattering of fans the contest still swung back and forth in familiar fashion. Pat Cummins had no hesitation to bat under sunny skies when the coin fell in his favour in this much-anticipated Test series.
South Africa's disciplined seamers controlled much of the day on a Kingsmead surface that offered extra bounce and movement. Australia were 124 for 6 and looked at risk of wasting Cummins' call to bat first after Nic Maddinson fell for a 33-ball duck and Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith departed on either side of lunch. Bad light ended play after 65.2 overs, with Matt Renshaw and Cummins still together.
That partnership altered the tone. Renshaw finished unbeaten on 46 from 115 balls. He and Cummins added an unbroken 63 for the seventh wicket to pull Australia back after a top-order slide in a see-saw battle.
Maddinson's Failed Recall
Maddinson's recall did not work. His return as an opener lasted 33 balls and ended in a duck as South Africa's seamers kept him pinned down from the start.
Australia had already been forced into changes. Cameron Green was ruled out through injury and Cooper Connolly was ill, which cleared the way for Maddinson's selection. It also meant Australia's XI was made up entirely of players aged 30 and above, adding to questions about the team's future.
Maddinson had played all three of his previous Tests almost a decade ago. He had only just returned to first-class cricket after 579 days, having last played in March 2025. His comeback carried extra weight because he underwent treatment for testicular cancer last year.
South Africa tested him hard. Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder kept him under pressure, with Mulder given the new ball because of his swing. South Africa were also without Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, which increased the burden on the rest of the attack.
South Africa's Seam Pressure
Kingsmead offered plenty of assistance. The extra bounce and sideways movement helped South Africa's disciplined seam attack trouble Australia throughout the day.
Jansen, Mulder and Anrich Nortje took two wickets each. Nortje's spell had added significance because this was his first Test in three-and-a-half years. By contrast, spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer were wicketless across 21 overs, even though the pitch is expected to turn more later in the match.
South Africa were also frustrated by the seventh-wicket stand and by the umpires' decision to stop play 50 minutes into the final session. Playing their first Test match in almost a year, they found themselves unable to finish the job.
South Africa missed an early chance. Bavuma chose not to review an lbw appeal against Maddinson after believing there had been an inside edge, but ball-tracking later showed the delivery would have struck leg stump.
The pressure spread elsewhere. Travis Head, who had spent much of his time at the non-striker's end, struggled for fluency and then fell to a successful review for Bavuma after he tickled Mulder down the leg side. Late in the day, Alex Carey edged Nortje to second slip and Beau Webster was caught behind on review two balls later.
Light brought the day to an end early. The umpires took the players off 50 minutes into the final session, leaving South Africa frustrated after they had controlled long stretches of the contest.
Renshaw Rescues Australia
Renshaw's switch paid off. Sent to No. 5 after Maddinson was used as an opener, he gave Australia the resistance they badly needed.
He had batted in that position only four times before, all on the 2023 tour of India. Renshaw had returned to Test cricket against Bangladesh in August as an opener, but this innings showed how well he could adapt to a different role. He finished the day unbeaten on 46 from 115 balls.
Australia had briefly steadied earlier. Labuschagne and Steven Smith added 60 before lunch, and Smith walked out to little hostility from the sparse fans in the terraces in low-key scenes after the build-up to Australia's return to South Africa. He counter-attacked by hitting Maharaj for a couple of sixes, and his presence rubbed off on the much-criticised Labuschagne, who held his place in the XI despite not making a Test century since the 2023 Ashes tour.
Labuschagne settled after a shaky start before Mulder trapped him lbw on the last ball before lunch. He walked off after an unsuccessful review, and Australia slipped again when Smith was caught in the gully after Jansen had worked him over earlier in the over.
Renshaw and Alex Carey were then forced to dig deep during an attritional spell. Carey battled to 1 off 20 balls, while Renshaw survived a brute of a delivery from Jansen with South Africa's appeal for caught behind unsuccessfully reviewed.
Carey and Renshaw later tried to push on against Harmer, who had been selected to support Maharaj, as the shackles finally came off. But the return of a fired-up Nortje brought an edge from Carey to second slip, and he had Beau Webster caught behind on review two balls later to put South Africa back in command.
Renshaw and Cummins revived Australia with strong application as they batted through increasingly darkening skies. Nortje reverted to a short-ball plan, but the batters held firm until play was called off, leaving Australia far more comfortable with the position than they had been a few hours earlier.
