Early on the third day of the Melbourne Test, despite Australia’s scoreboard advantage, it was questionable whether a team that resembled a hospital ward could perform well. When they finally declared the game two sessions later, two batters with broken hands were the ones landing the punches in the center.
Cameron Green overlooked his damaged finger to face 171 balls for an unbeaten 51, while Mitchell Starc’s injured finger while fielding did not prevent him from hitting a six during his 10 not out. Alex Carey’s maiden Test century contributed to the establishment of a 386-run lead, and South African captain Dean Elgar was caught behind for a duck before rain halted play at 15-1.
The day began quickly for the visitors, who were already 197 runs behind but had hopes of reducing the damage following Anrich Nortje’s opening burst. First, he hammered Travis Head for 51, with the ball hitting Head’s back pad and deflecting onto his stumps after bouncing off the seam.
David Warner returned after a night’s rest after retiring with severe cramping the night before after hitting 200 runs. He was dismissed by a Nortje yorker that swung into his ankle and again into the stumps.
Patrick Cummins survived the hat-trick ball but was immediately called caught behind off Rabada due to a questionable review decision by the umpire. South Africa likely believed that the match was nearing its conclusion when 400-6 became 400-8 due to injuries. However, after Nathan Lyon scored 25 runs before being caught at midwicket, Green joined him there.
South Africa once again turned to Nortje, the guy who shattered Green’s finger the day prior, in the hopes that he may induce discomfort by bowling at the gloves. However, Green’s defense showed no weaknesses, particularly when he played short passes with high hands into the ground.
Green scored in slow motion, with the need to protect his injuries possibly causing him to revert to the defensive strategy he employed during his rookie season of Test cricket. Carey, meanwhile, was already on 31 when the partnership began and continued to score for both players.
Given that the Australians had to prepare to bowl out a squad with only three fit specialist bowlers instead of five, runs were less of a concern than time. The objective was to keep South Africa on the field as long as possible. It allowed each player to advance in whichever manner they desired.
This necessitated a prudent bowling approach from Carey. He preferred short, wide balls because he could use the pace to pick up pull shots and deflect uppercuts to the boundary. On occasion, he faced length balls by rocking back and driving them into the ground or through the covers.
Even as he approached a century, he was content to collect singles and doubles off either straight or spin bowling. He became the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a run since Brad Haddin in the 2013 Adelaide Ashes Test, which spans Peter Nevill, Matthew Wade, and Tim Paine.
Green ultimately incorporated a few big shots into his day, reaching his sixth Test fifty with a stunning one-legged uppercut. Rabada bowled with fervor but was unlucky, pulling his edge multiple times without a ball reaching the fielder. Carey was dismissed peculiarly for 111, attempting to leave a bouncer from Marco Jansen after it bounced at him, but leaving the bat up periscope-style and nicking the ball back to the bowler.
Cummins summoned his players after Starc’s helmet was struck by another Jansen bouncer, necessitating a concussion evaluation. The case for leaving injured players in harm’s way was waning. The only player who did not bat in the tense Brisbane Test was nightwatchman Scott Boland.
And despite what we had been told about Starc’s inability to bowl, he commenced the innings in a pair of cricket pants that were soon stained with blood from his crushed fingernail, which could no longer be taped.
The wicket was taken by Cummins in the second over, with the umpires referring to a low catch and confirming that Elgar’s glove was involved. It was the second time in four innings that the touring skipper was caught down the leg side, along with a runout and an umpire’s decision of leg before wicket.
Due to his team’s 371-point deficit with two days remaining, the following days will begin half an hour earlier to make up for a lost time. Even when faced with adversity, Australia has found a way to prevail.
