Live updates: South Africa vs Australia, third Test, day one from Newlands, Cape Town

Mitchell Starc is at the top of his mark and ready to let rip.

Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman stride to the crease for South Africa to kick things off.

Markram has been conspicuously quiet in this series so far. He usually LOVES a big one against the Aussies. Will today be the day?

The first one from Starc is a bit of a teaser, wide and back of a length outside off and Markram shoulders arms.

Starc’s second delivery is a little fuller and straighter as well, but Markram again safely leaves it alone. A hint of inswing from Starc, but not a whole lot of movement, to be fair.

Three leaves in a row for Markram as Starc again sends one wider outside off stump.

Make that four leaves! Markram comes a little closer to offering a shot here, but again shoulders arms to one outside off.

FIVE LEAVES! CAN WE GET SOME ACTION PLEASE?! BOOOOOOOO!!! (Kidding, this is good Test match cricket children).

Finally some bat on ball, Starc gets a little fuller and Markram defends it down the wicket. We start with a maiden over.

Well, here it is.

The scene of the crime.

Eight years ago the actions of the Australian team, pinned on to David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith, forced the nation to confront the ugly truth about the alleys of disrepute its favourite team had ventured down in its quest for cricketing superiority.

The outcome was sandpapergate. The build up featured an awful lot more.

The downside is that Smith doesn’t have a chance to avenge for what happened here eight years ago.

Nevertheless, here’s a reminder of how a virulent series gave rise to Australian cricket’s uncomfortable sporting scandal.

The two teams are out there lined up arm-in-arm and we’re going through the respective renditions of the two national anthems.

Australia’s is first and it’s got a wonderful orchestral sound to it.

South Africa follows up and I’ve got to say this is one of my favourite anthems in the world.

Pretty decent crowd in at Cape Town as well, a stark contrast to the first two Tests.

I’d say Scott Boland is the one who is INCREDIBLY stiff to miss out today.

If this pitch has a bit in it early doors, then South Africa’s top order will be thanking its lucky stars that Boland is running drinks rather than running in with the red pill.

Incredible stat this.

Australia’s four changes for this Test is the most it has made in between two Tests since it made four changes following the Cape Town Test in 2018 after Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were suspended.

Smith is certainly not going to have fond memories of this venue at all.

Hi Phillip,

By the sounds of things in the lead-up, I think Marnus would have played regardless of the Smith injury.

Start the debate now…

Here’s Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who has been speaking to ABC Sport in Cape Town about the challenge that lies ahead for his team.

Claiming victory on home soil against the number one-ranked Aussies would be a huge moment for the South African team.

Temba Bavuma told ABC Sport that doing so would put his side on the path to where they want to be as a side.

Hey, you never know, winning this series might even make the board arrange more regular Test matches for the Proteas…

More than just Kagiso Rabada’s thunderbolts.

More than the teasing loop of Simon Harmer’s off spin.

More, even, than the broad bat of gutsy skipper Temba Bavuma.

This third Test, played in the shadow of Table Mountain, has ghosts lurking around every corner.

Memories of some of the Australian Test team’s worst cricketing moments this century.

It could make for a battle beyond just bat and ball.

Hi Cam,

The two playing XIs will be confirmed by the captains Pat Cummins and Temba Bavuma at the coin toss.

The coin toss will take place at 7pm AEDT, just under 15 minutes from now.

Is this arguably the most beautiful cricket ground in the world?

Members of the South Australian Cricket Association will likely disagree, as will those of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association.

But why quibble? Nobody can with Newlands’ awe-inspiring vista, the 1,000-metre majesty of Table Mountain a towering symbol of nature’s awesome scale and grace.

Test cricket has been played at Newlands since March 1889 – this is the 62nd time South Africa will play a red-ball match at the home of Western Province.

No man has scored more runs here than Jacques Kallis, whose 2,181 Test runs includes a 224 effort against Sri Lanka in 2012.

Graeme Pollock‘s 209 in 1966 is the highest score against Australia at the ground, with Neil Harvey‘s 178 in 1949 the best by an Aussie here.

Dale Steyn is the most prolific wicket taker at the ground with 74, but Kagiso Rabada has 52 in the nine matches he’s played, with a best of 6/55. His average of 21.55 and a strike rate of 34.25.

Australia has played 14 times at Newlands since first visiting in 1902. They’ve won 10 of them.

Five of those victories came in the seven Tests held before 1970 and South Africa’s international exclusion.

Since then, the ledger has flipped, with the Proteas winning five of seven.

Australia last won here in 2014, by 245 runs, but that is their only victory in their last four Tests here.

South Africa’s victory in Gqeberha was made all the more remarkable given that Anrich Nortje barely bowled.

He won’t be bowling in Cape Town either.

The hulking paceman suffered a groin injury in his first bowling spell, and has subsequently been ruled out of the final Test.

The Proteas have not named a replacement in the squad.

Nortje had not played a red-ball match in more than three-and-a-half years before the first Test in Durban.

He proceeded to bowl an energy-sapping 40 overs in that match, which took its toll on the 32-year-old.

South Africa’s options include bringing Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch or Dane Paterson into the team.

However, given the Newlands surface’s propensity to take spin, left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy could be an option as well.

We know for sure that Marnus will be a lock if Smith is unable to go, heck, he might’ve been a lock anyway.

I’d imagine Josh Inglis is probably the man that comes in for Smith, you’re right.

So, it all comes down to this.

One of cricket’s greatest theatres playing host to the final act of a play that has flipped from one way to the next across both stanzas so far.

It’s got all the hallmarks of a thriller.

It’s a pleasure to be here to talk all about it with you.

Hello everyone and welcome to the ABC Sport coverage of the third and final Test between Australia and South Africa!

The ABC commentary team are on location in Cape Town, and the blogging team are here with you into the night here in Australia.

My name is Simon Smale, Chris de Silva is here with me and Henry Hanson is also on hand to keep us all honest.

It goes without saying that it is a pleasure to be with you and I hope you enjoy the coverage.