It was a day where spin reigned supreme in Cairns, and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj proved to be the king. His five-wicket haul was the decisive performance in his team’s 98-run victory over Australia, overshadowing an impressive four-wicket haul from part-timer Travis Head.
Head’s 4-57 was a major talking point in the first innings, as he pegged back the Proteas. However, half-centuries from Aiden Markram (82) and Temba Bavuma (65) still guided South Africa to a formidable 8-296.
In the second innings, Maharaj took center stage. With Australia at 0-60, he was introduced into the attack and produced a spell of bowling that will be remembered for a long time. His 5-33 caused a catastrophic collapse from which Australia could not recover.
Mitch Marsh fought hard for his 88, but the story of the day was the dominance of the spinners. Maharaj’s mastery of the conditions proved to be the difference between the two sides, as Australia was bowled out for 198.