DAY two has been washed-out after constant rain forced the umpires to make a decision. Join us tomorrow for all the action.

South Africa 5/171 after 55 overs (Bavuma 38, de Kock 28)

Australia all out for 85 after 32.5 overs (Smith 48 not-out)

2:09pm

Play abandoned on day two

After a morning of non-stop rain, the umpires have called off day two in Hobart. Puddles of water are appearing around the edges of the covers while the outfield is sodden. Fielders will have a tough day on the slippery Hobart surface tomorrow if there is a start.

12:28pm

Smith’s message to Aussie batsmen

Starc departs cheaply on day one.

Starc departs cheaply on day one.Source:Getty Images

Mitchell Starc has revealed what Steve Smith told his team after yesterday’s batting collapse. The Aussie skipper prompted his team to be prepared to make runs in any way possible in dire situations. “One thing he said was you’ve got to be happy to score ugly runs sometimes,” Starc told ABC Grandstand.

“Whether it’s inside-edging a few runs to fine leg to get off strike or something like that, you’ve just got to find a way to score runs.

“You don’t have to look good doing it, you’ve just got to get the runs on the board.”

Smith’s technique of moving wide outside off stump before each delivery, while unconventional, was the only thing that combatted the South African seam attack, leaving the skipper stranded on 48* after the order collapsed for 85.

Starc said that while the Aussies were under severe pressure to defend, Smith reassured his batsmen to keep playing their natural game.

“You want to dig in for your team, but you want to play your natural game as well where you feel comfortable, and feel like you’re going to spend as much time as you can out there,” Starc said.

“You don’t want to try and block a ball that has your name written on it when it’s seaming around or swinging around. It was a tough half a day for us yesterday.”

11:29pm

Joe Burns proves his commitment

Normally, rain delays call for a much-needed respite from gruelling Test cricket — but Joe Burns hasn’t taken a break. The re-appointed opener hit the indoor nets with the coaches during this morning’s downpour to brush up on his batting. It appears nobody else from the Australian side took the same initiative after ABC Grandstand’s Scott Rollinson spotted the 27-year-old to be the only batsman receiving throw-downs.

Burns had a horror return to Test cricket after being caught LBW by Kyle Abbott for one in the second over of Australia’s embarrassing collapse on day one.

10:41pm

No forseeable start as rain buckets down

It’s a cold, rainy day in Hobart with no forseeable start to the day’s play. A top of 14 degrees for the day with heavy rain expected into the evening leaves Australias chances of bowling South Africa out today looking grim.

10:00am

Ricky Ponting’s huge Philander call

Vernon Philander carved through the Aussies yesterday with figures of 5-21.

Vernon Philander carved through the Aussies yesterday with figures of 5-21.Source:AFP

Former Test captain Ricky Ponting announced Vernon Philander as the hardest bowler he’d ever faced in his career. “He is probably the hardest I faced in world cricket with those type of conditions because you don’t get any visual clues with the swinging ball,” Ponting said in an interview with BT Sport per cricket.com.au.

“He doesn’t swing the ball at all. It comes out of his hand dead straight and he doesn’t know which way it’s going to go off the pitch either.

“So you sort of end up trying to find and feel ... for which way the ball is going to go.”

Philander’s seam movement shredded the Australian batting order, leaving the South African paceman with figures of 5-21.

“We saw a couple of replays today; the release was exactly the same on two balls in a row, they landed in almost exactly the same spot, one seamed away and the other one seamed in,” Ponting said.

“He’s just a class act when the ball is seaming.”