South Africa vs Australia 2018: 2nd Test, day 1 - 5 things we learnt from the day

Buoyed by a spectacular spell from Kagiso Rabada, South Africa reduced Australia to 243 after the visitors had gotten off to a terrific start under cloudy skies after opting to bat first. David Warner and Cameron Bancroft put on 98 for the opening wicket before Vernon Philander, miserly as ever, struck at the stroke of lunch. He removed Usman Khawaja as well but it was Lungisani Ngidi's jaffa to David Warner that opened the flood gates.

A pumped-up Rabada, who had been mediocre in the first session, roared to form and nipped out the Aussie skipper, Steven Smith, before picking up three more wickets in the next over to pull the Aussies down. He completed a fifer but a late fightback from Tim Paine helped Australia add 61 for the last two wickets before Ngidi sealed the innings with two wickets.

South Africa lost Aiden Markram in the few overs before the close of play but a resolute Kagiso Rabada saw them through further unscathed.

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#5 Australian openers ride their luck and make merry

Warner continued his golden run in the country

Faf du Plessis admitted to being "50-50" about what to opt for if he had won the toss at Port Elizabeth after Australia won the toss and opted to bat first. With moisture present after the rains and some grass on the pitch, it really was a Vernon Philander kind of morning. He was relentless with his lines and forced the ball to miss the bat countless times, but the edge eluded.

Australia have never missed or edged the ball this often in the first 20 overs of a Test innings, without losing a wicket. #SAvAUS

— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) March 9, 2018

David Warner and Cameron Bancroft stood firm as South Africa's seam bowlers extracted dangerous movement off the pitch. That said, Rabada was quite short and except for Vernon Philander, none of the others couldn't quite make the Aussies pay. The openers put on a 98 run stand to hurt South Africa's chances.

#4 Vernon Philander brings South Africa back into the game with a sizzling spell

Philander single-handedly bowled South Africa back into the game

Vernon Philander is a true beast. Take a glance at his pitch map and you would never be able to guess the number of balls he has bowled in the innings. The balls are stacked one on top of the other and stick to one another closely given how consistently he hits the same areas. Yet, the rewards did not quite come in the first session even though he beat the bat multiple times.

He returned to the attack and immediately sent Bancroft on his way with a peach of a delivery. As though that weren't enough, Usman Khawaja was undone by another beauty as Philander single-handedly brought South Africa back into the match after a poor start.

#3 After a dry start, Ngidi and Rabada turn on the screws

Ngidi justified his selection with one superb inswinger

To drop a legend in his last series is criminal particularly if his replacement goes on to concede at more than five an over. Lungisani Ngidi did not have a great start to the game after he replaced Morne Morkel in the starting XI at Port Elizabeth. He stuck to a back of a length channel when he needed to be fuller and Warner had thrived on his wayward bowling.

Returning to the attack, Ngidi stuck to a better length, angled the ball away from Warner before bringing one back into him to clean him up and send him away.

As though pumped up by Ngidi's dismissal, Rabada returned to the attack and slowly struck a rhythm. He then produced a rip-roaring inswinger to send the big fish, Steven Smith, on his way and help reduce Australia to 161/4.

#2 Rabada's mind-blowing over

Kagiso Rabada hit his straps with a spectacular over

Just when it seemed like Australia had scooted off to a good start, Kagiso Rabada turned up and delivered a scorching spell that accounted for five wickets and brought the Aussies from 159/3 to 170/7 and 182/8. The South African seamer was off the radar for much of the first session but came roaring back to nip out the big scalp of Steven Smith before producing the over that turned the game on its head.

He sent Shaun Marsh on his way with a terrific delivery from around the wicket before nipping out his brother three balls later. The teams separated for tea but Rabada wasn't done yet for he returned to send back Pat Cummins for a golden duck. The three-wicket burst plus the Smith wicket contributed to one of the best pace bowling spells in recent times.

#1 South Africa lose one; need to avoid repetition of mistakes

South Africa need Elgar to grit it out on day 2

Having stunned Australia in the second session, the Proteas needed to end the day on a good note with the bat. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram got off to a solid start with the duo playing out Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood quite convincingly. The Australian opening seamers weren't really getting enough off the pitch and this paved way for Pat Cummins.

The pacy seamer hit the right channel and forced Markram to miss one onto his pads to grab the first wicket. Kagiso Rabada and Dean Elgar played out a tense fifteen minutes but the Proteas will head back to their nest knowing that they cannot afford another collapse like the one at Durban. They have the Aussies on the mat after a superb bowling performance but will need to get a resounding lead to level this series, particularly since they have to bat last here.