If the chant of “Warnie” that rose at the MCG on Monday in tribute to the recently departed great becomes “Warner” on Tuesday, then many questions will have been answered.
David Warner is away, unbeaten on a busy 32 and chasing his first red-ball century for almost three years in his 100th Test.
Australia went to stumps at 1-45 after bowling South Africa out for 189 on the opening day of the second Test, but opening bowler Mitchell Starc was sent for scans after diving unsuccessfully attempting a catch off Nathan Lyon and injuring the middle figure of his bowling hand.
Starc left the field immediately but bowled in the nets after treatment and returned to the field but did not bowl again in the innings, allowing Cameron Green the extra overs to claim his best haul in Test cricket, 5-27 from 10.4 overs.
“We’ll have to wait and see how he pulls up. I hope he’s alright,” Green said later.
A Cricket Australia spokesman said he was “not sure yet” whether Starc would bowl in South Africa’s second innings. “He was going to bowl today. He’s gone for a standard scan,” the spokesman said.
David Warner hooks one away towards the boundary.Credit:Chris Hopkins
By electing to bowl, Australian captain Pat Cummins pushed the scrutiny on Warner’s batting back onto that of South Africa’s, who suffered another collapse as Green, Australia’s $3 million man, ran through the visitors.
Only days after becoming the most expensive Australian ever bought at an IPL auction, Green’s display proved why he was so highly prized as South Africa failed to reach 200 for a fourth successive Test. The damage would have been worse if Australia had fielded better.
The crowd of 64,876 – which bettered the attendance for South Africa’s last Boxing Day Test at the MCG in 2008 – certainly appreciated Green’s heroics.
The 3.50pm cheers and applause for Warne, to mark the first Test at his favourite ground since his sudden death in March, were complimented by the words “Warnie 350” painted on the playing field, for his Australian Test player number.
Cameron Green acknowledges the crowd after claiming 5-27.Credit:The Age
A century from Warner, 36, would turn around a lean year in which he has averaged under 21 from ten Tests. It would also give the selectors more certainty around next month’s tour of India and possibly the Ashes beyond.
His unbeaten 32 at stumps was just the second time he had passed 30 in his last 11 innings.
Warner would have been heartened by the way South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne (52 off 99 balls) and tall left-arm seamer Marco Jansen (59 off 136) batted under a cloudless sky for a sixth wicket partnership of 112 in 36.2 overs.
It was Verreynne’s second half-century in three innings, highlighting his capacity to fight, and the 22-year-old Jansen’s first half-century in his ninth Test, confirming what a valuable player he is becoming.
Green broke the partnership – and the game – open by dismissing both batters as South Africa lost their last five wickets for just 10 runs. This was after they had lost their first five for 67.
The Proteas almost managed to negotiate the first hour before last year’s Boxing Day cult hero, Scott Boland, drew a roar from the crowd when he removed Sarel Erwee (18), caught at third slip by Usman Khawaja.
The crowd certainly know who Boland is. There was a similar roar just three balls into the day when Elgar nudged wide of short leg for two and Boland ran it down.
It looked like South Africa would get to lunch just one wicket down but de Bruyn (12) perished to a skied, ill-judged pull to give Green his first wicket.
As the only truly credentialed batsman in the side, Elgar could not have picked a worse time for his first run-out in 81 Tests.
Elgar pushed a delivery wide of mid-off and set off for a single, but Marnus Labuschagne swooped on the ball and threw down the stumps with the batsman well short of his ground.
Temba Bavuma (1) was caught behind next ball off Mitchell Starc and South Africa went to lunch at 4-58. A familiar theme had emerged.
