Australia lost two early wickets vs Temba Bavuma’s South Africa after winning the toss and electing to bat first in 1st Test in Durban on Friday.
Published: October 9, 2026, 2:08 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/cricket/watch-bad-news-for-star-player-from-kavya-maran-srh-travis-head-falls-cheaply-vs-south-africa-8534349/
Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran(Source: X)
South Africa vs Australia 2026 1st Test: Pat Cummins-led Australia got off to a disastrous start with their premier opener Travis Head dismissed for only 9 on Day 1 of their 1st Test against South Africa at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on FridaySunrisers Hyderabad opener Head was disappointingly caught behind down the leg side off the bowling of SA all-rounder Wiaan Mulder even as his opening partner Nic Maddinson was yet to get off the mark.
Head, who was retained for Rs 14 crore by Kavya Maran’s SRH ahead of IPL 2026 season, had got a boundary off Mulder in the second over of the day to get off the markTV replays later showed that Maddinson was plumb leg-before to Mulder with his bat nowhere near the ball in the all-rounder’s second over by South Africa chose not to review.
However, Mulder had his wicket soon after as Head only managed to clip the ball down the leg-side to be dismissed for 9The umpire had given it not out but SA captain Temba Bavuma took the DRS this time around and the replays showed a faint tickle down the leg-side which was easily snapped up by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.
WATCH Travis Head dismissed by Wiaan Mulder HERE…
This time Temba Bavuma successfully goes for the REVIEW tonget @CricketAus Travis Head out caught behind for 9 off the bowling of @ProteasMenCSA Wiaan Mulder! Well spotted by Kyle Verreynne @kyle_verreynne #SAvAUS https://t.co/8nkkIGK1ZO
— Chacha Abdul Shakoor (@ChachaAbdulSh10) October 9, 2026
Head, before the 1st Test in Durban, has played in 4 Tests in 2026 while scoring 262 runs with a best of 163 against England in January this yearIn the IPL 2026 season, Head had managed to score 410 runs in 15 matches at a strike-rate of 170.12 with 2 fifties.
Nic Maddinson dismissed for a duck
Head’s opening partner Nic Maddinson was making a ‘fairytale comeback’ into the Australian after battling to recover from cancerMaddinson went through 18 months of chemotherapy for testicular cancer and was finally picked to open the innings for Australia in the first Test.
The Durban game was his first Test in 10 years after he last played in Melbourne against Pakistan in 2016Australia captain Pat Cummins praised Maddinson for his form after Australia won the toss and opted to bat first“I think he’s really settled where his game is atHe’s shown good formNo Australians have had a lot of cricket in the last six months, but I feel like he’s really well-placed,” Cummins said at toss on Friday.
Maddinson scored 126 in the One-Day Cup for New South Wales against Victoria on his return and, combined with an injury to Cameron Green, he was called into the national sideBut he was dismissed for a duck after a vigil lasting 33 balls when he chopped on Marco Jansen delivery onto his stumpsWith Maddinson and Head’s wicket, Australia were reduced to 24 for 2 in 10.2 overs.
The Aussies have fielded their famous pace trio of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland missed out, with Nathan Lyon coming in as the lone spinnerSouth Africa had named their Playing XI a day before the match with Anrich Nortje returned after more than three years, while Kagiso Rabada missed out due to his hamstring injury.
South Africa vs Australia 1st Test Playing 11
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma(c), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje
Australia: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey(w), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
