A blunder that left David Warner ineligible to open the batting failed to rattle Test debutant Matt Renshaw on Thursday night as he and last-second partner Usman Khawaja safely negotiated Australia through 12 overs under lights in Adelaide to close out the opening day of the pink-ball Test.
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Declaration catches Warner out
A timely declaration from Faf du Plessis prevented David Warner from opening the batting.
A clever declaration by South Africa's wily captain and centurion Faf du Plessis caught the Australians off guard after he had replied to the boos of the Adelaide Oval crowd with a sparkling unbeaten hundred.
In a twist in the closing stages of the final session Warner was not permitted to open with 20-year-old Renshaw after being deemed to have spent too much time off the field receiving medical treatment for a shoulder problem sustained during South Africa's first innings.
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Warner and captain Steve Smith were told that the vice-captain hadn't served the required time back in the field to bat immediately after spending longer than the maximum eight minutes off the ground.
"I think the guys were a little bit annoyed, especially Smithy and probably Ussy, who had to go out and bat," said Josh Hazlewood. "But it's just one of those things that rarely happens but it happened today and I think the way Ussy adapted to the situation, he did a great job for us today."
"You know the rules and (Warner) was just off the field for too long. He'll hold himself accountable, that's how Davey goes. He'll know he did the wrong thing and apologise to the group, probably especially Usman, and obviously learn from it and hopefully it doesn't happen again."
Du Plessis had overheard Warner speaking with umpires Richard Kettleborough and Nigel Llong when he returned to the field and ran off the ground with first-gamer Tabraiz Shamsi, declaring at 9-259 and giving Renshaw and Khawaja 12 overs under lights to bat.
"I listened to the conversation he had with the umpires," du Plessis said. "I heard he had six minutes left before he could bat again so I thought let's have a crack.
"It was just for me to try and take them a little bit out of their comfort zone."
While Warner will have to bat at No.3, Renshaw (8 not out) and his Queensland captain Khawaja (3 not out) ushered Australia to stumps and will resume at 0-14, trailing by 245, on Friday. After being earlier stationed at first slip on debut and taking a good low catch to dismiss Hashim Amla, Renshaw's first Test runs, via a boundary to fine leg, brought a smile to his face and a roar from the stands.
It wasn't the first involvement of the 32,255-strong crowd. Du Plessis had been roundly booed after a week in which he was front and centre of a ball tampering controversy but proceeded to take the shine off Smith's new Australian team.
There is something about Adelaide for South Africa's stand-in captain. Four years ago, on his Test debut here, he held out an Australian attack for the best part of two days with an obstinate century that secured the tourists an epic draw.
Then there was the hoo-ha upon his arrival at the airport this week, the flashpoint of an episode in which he was charged and ultimately fined by the ICC. As it turned out, Australia could have used him to be rubbed out of the third Test match rather than escaping suspension on a technicality.
Whatever you say about du Plessis - and he's been called a few things this week - one thing is certainly is not is weak.
If anything the cool reception, coupled with his feeling of injustice about the Hobart mint affair, served to further inspire the 32-year-old. The chatter of Australia's recalled antagonist-in-chief Matthew Wade also made few inroads as du Plessis dashed to three figures and wound up unbeaten on 118 in the South African total. When he reached his ton, the few boos that rang out again were muffled by begrudging applause. He said later it was the best hundred of his career.
It was a day of significance for Australia despite the match being a dead rubber, the series already claimed by South Africa. Infused by youth and with ambitions of launching off a bold new era from the wreckage of the past three months, the hosts were bursting in the field with the energy of a team that has been given a fresh start.
"There was some really good energy out there. I guess that's what a few young faces do for the team," Hazlewood said. "I think it probably started a couple of days ago at training, that extra energy from the young guys, and it showed today."
It was somewhat of an anti-climax, though, when du Plessis won the toss and told the Australians to bowl, delaying a first look at the revamped Australian top six featuring Renshaw, 25-year-old Peter Handscomb and 24-year-old Nic Maddinson.
Aside from finding du Plessis elusive the Australian bowlers did their job. Hazlewood led the way with 4-68, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird chimed in with two each and Nathan Lyon ended a drought of 110 first-class overs without a wicket when Wade stumped Kagiso Rabada.
The story of this Australian team here, though, was only ever going to be able to be told when they batted. It has been that side of their game that has let them down so badly and prompted such mass change.
Despite an unsettling late change to the order they passed their first test on Thursday night.
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