Green takes five as Australia seize control of 2nd South Africa Test

Australia’s Cameron Green (left) celebrates dismissing South African batsman Lungi Ngidi on the first day of the second cricket Test match between Australia and South Africa at the MCG in Melbourne on 26 December 2022 – AFP

MELBOURNE, AFP: Cameron Green celebrated landing one of the richest contracts in Indian Premier League history by taking a career-best 5-27 as Australia ripped through South Africa’s fragile batting in the second Test on Monday.

After the visitors were dismissed for 189, an aggressive David Warner, in his 100th Test, was unbeaten on 32 and Marnus Labuschagne was not out on five to steer the hosts to 45-1 at stumps on day one.

Usman Khawaja was out for one, caught behind by Kyle Verreynne off Kagiso Rabada.

Australia won the first of three Tests by six wickets inside two days on a hostile and green Gabba pitch in Brisbane last week.

The deck at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was less bowler-friendly, but captain Pat Cummins surprisingly chose to field at a venue where toss-winning teams normally bat first.

It proved to be an inspired decision in front of 64,876 fans with the Proteas losing early wickets as they again struggled against the hosts’ bowling firepower.

After slumping to 67-5, Verreynne and Marco Jansen launched a stirring fight-back in a gutsy 112-run stand.

But then Green-the second-most expensive buy at the IPL auction last week behind England’s Sam Curran-went on a blitz, snapping the partnership when Verreynne got an outside edge on 52 that Steve Smith collected.

Two balls later, Jansen was gone, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey for 59 off Green before the giant Australian bowled Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.

Green took 4-8 in the spell with the Proteas losing their last five wickets for 10 runs.