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'Don't think it was too much aggression' - Ashwell Prince rues South Africa's torrid day with the bat in Durban

South Africa’s first-innings collapse at Kingsmead in Durban left their batting order in tatters, as the hosts fell to 284—106 runs behind Australia’s 390. The innings was dominated by early dismissals and failed partnerships, with only David Bedingham and Simon Harmer enduring past 70 balls, both finishing unbeaten on 35.

Despite six batters reaching 30, none crossed 50, and three promising stands—between Aiden Markram and Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder, and Harmer and Anrich Nortje—were all cut short before converting. At the top order, Ryan Rickelton’s loose drive to third slip on the ninth ball of the innings signaled the fragility of the start, while Keshav Maharaj’s dropped catch against Mitchell Starc further exposed the team’s vulnerability.

The only bright spot came from Marco Jansen, who briefly entertained with boundaries off Cummins and Lyon before his limited shot selection led to two near-misses against Josh Hazlewood. Batting coach Ashwell Prince acknowledged the varying approaches of his players, noting that while some batters thrive on aggression over time, the conditions in Durban did not favor that style on this occasion.

Australia, meanwhile, extended their ninth-wicket partnership against South Africa with a record 134-run stand between Matt Renshaw and Nathan Lyon, solidifying their lead with Renshaw’s career-best 190.

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