Inglis leads reshuffled Australia to advantage in Cape Town

Stumps Australia 330 for 4 (Inglis 85*, Renshaw 74, Green 65, Carey 51*, Jansen 2-37, Harmer 2-84) lead South Africa 329 (Ackerman 95, Markram 78, Jansen 52, Starc 6-72, Lyon 2-71) by one run

Australia's batting has long been under the microscope, but a rejigged order showed mettle on day two to rebuff several fightbacks from South Africa in Cape Town.

A 126-run third-wicket partnership between Cameron Green and Matt Renshaw, along with an unbroken 145-run stand put up by Josh Inglis and Alex Carey, powered Australia into a position of strength in the series-deciding third Test.

Showcasing more gumption than South Africa's batters did on a madcap opening day, Australia made the most of a relatively benign Newlands surface to reach stumps in the lead.

Pleasingly for Australia, Green and Renshaw - batters who loom as key figures moving forward for a transitioning side - were significant contributors while long-time fringe batter Inglis issued a reminder of his talents to finish 85 not out from 111 balls. It wasn't all rosy, though, with No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne's Test career hanging by a thread after falling for a duck.

Renshaw and Travis Head had launched Australia's first innings with a brisk 58-run partnership. Their hopes of compiling Australia's first century opening partnership since the 2023 Ashes tour were dashed with offspinner Simon Harmer's introduction in the 18th over.

He had Head on 41 chopping onto his stumps in a familiar dismissal, leading to Labuschagne coming to the crease having been fortunate to survive the axe after a prolonged form slump. Labuschagne poked his fifth delivery, from Harmer, to first slip, with scrutiny on his place in the team set to intensify.

Green and Renshaw weren't flawless and did receive some good fortune, while they were both hit on the body by short deliveries. But they fought hard and kept the scoreboard ticking with consistent boundaries and by rotating the strike.

Returning after missing the opening two Tests with an abdominal injury, Green relished batting at No. 4 in place of the injured Steven Smith. It's his batting position for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield, but had only batted there in six of 62 innings in Test cricket - although he did make a career-best 174* against New Zealand in 2024 at four.

Australia had moved into a strong position at 184 for 2 in their first innings before a pumped-up Marco Jansen had Renshaw caught behind on 74 in a decision that was overturned by DRS.

Renshaw's gritty 139-ball knock ended in disappointing fashion when he attempted an ill-advised upper-cut to a short delivery, with replays confirming a faint edge to give Jansen his 100th Test wicket.

With his tail up, Jansen then had Green on 65 edging to slip, but Inglis and Carey steadied to bat through the final session. It was a particularly fine effort from Inglis, shaking off rust in his return from a finger injury that ruled him out of the opening two Tests. His last red-ball match was in March in the Sheffield Shield.

South Africa's seamers could not find much movement and there was no hint of the menacing swing conjured by Mitchell Starc in his extraordinary six-wicket burst in the final session of day one.

They relied on Harmer to provide a threat, and he and Jansen shared all four wickets. Spearhead Kagiso Rabada struggled through the day to finish with 0 for 81 off 18 overs and he'll need to fire up early on day three, otherwise South Africa will be staring down the barrel.

After Starc's heroics late on day one limited South Africa to a modest first-innings total of 329, all eyes were on Australia's new-look batting order without Smith who was ruled out with a neck injury sustained in the second Test.

Renshaw moved back to the top of the order, where he had batted in 20 of his 29 previous Test innings. He had enjoyed his shift to No. 5 for this series, making 190 and 82 in a spectacular first Test performance, but once again partnered Head after replacing Nic Maddinson, who had an unsuccessful return to Test cricket.

Jansen entered on 99 Test wickets, but he could not consistently hit the right length and was punished by Renshaw, who targeted his favoured leg side.

In trademark fashion, Head lived more dangerously and twice sliced boundaries just past backward point to leave South Africa frustrated.

They were the only nervy moments against the new ball although Renshaw wore a fierce 145 kph bumper from Rabada on his right shoulder, brushing off the incident with a beaming smile.

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma turned to speedster Gerald Coetzee, playing his first Test match since November 2024 after replacing injured quick Anrich Nortje.

Coetzee started with a 146 kph thunderbolt but inaccuracy proved costly against a rampant Head, who brought up the fifty partnership in style with superb improvisation to upper-cut over the slips.

With his pace attack blunted, Bavuma turned to Harmer and it paid instant dividends with the wickets of Head and Labuschagne.

Bavuma decided to start the second session with the fierce speed of Rabada and Coetzee in a plan to rough up Green. Coetzee thought he had removed Green on 22 when he edged low down to Harmer at second slip, but replays suggested that the ball bounced just short.

Other than a fiery delivery that whacked Renshaw on the body, Rabada could not find rhythm and his attempts to rough up Green backfired. Three consecutive short balls were dispatched although Green did have some fortune when he top-edged for six over a leaping Marques Ackerman at deep square leg.

Green looked anguished, thinking he had fallen tamely like several of South Africa's batters on day one. He then refocused to reach his half-century off 65 balls.

Harmer loomed as the most likely to break the partnership although Green and Renshaw played him more aggressively than before lunch as Bavuma looked out of answers.

Harmer stepped up with a superb looping delivery that hit the back leg of Renshaw when he was on 49. South Africa were left flustered when ball-tracking showed the ball clipping the bails, with their review unable to overturn the decision.

Green and Renshaw reached their fifties in consecutive deliveries as they appeared set to bat through the session until Jansen once again delivered under pressure.

The game went through a lull after tea, though Carey had an early run-out scare when Inglis sent him back. Ackerman's throw from mid-on went wide.

Inglis, playing his first Test match since December, was uncharacteristically bogged down until he showed off his liking for spin by dancing down and serenely smashing Harmer for six over deep midwicket. There was little he could do a few balls later when a fizzing delivery from Harmer spun through the gate only to bounce narrowly over the stumps.

The innately aggressive Inglis found his groove late in the day as he moved closer to his second Test ton.