Plays of the day from day 2

Dean Elgar. Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images

Run of the day:

Dean Elgar had a debut from hell against Australia in Perth, where serial bully Mitchell Johnson made sure Elgar did not belong in the Test match playground and twice bowled him out for a duck.

His nervousness at Newlands was there for all to see when he trooped in after Faf du Plessis fell to Chris Martin.

This time a whip off the legs to square-leg was enough to get him off the mark.

It was followed by a relief-filled smile and a massive cheer.

Never had a single been so gratifying.

DRS Moment of the day

Before Dean Brownlie’s and Brendon McCullum’s audacious assault after tea, Kane Williamson was the wicket South Africa were looking for. His powers of adhesiveness are well known, especially after his match saving 100 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in March last year.

Vernon Philander thought he had him when an inswinger snaked in between bat and pad, making that irresistible imaginary edge noise in the process.

There was a sound, which resulted in one of the longest referrals in memory.

It was not a good advertisement for the game, but in the end, Rod Tucker’s not out dismissal, after countless Hotspot views, was upheld.

Number of the day

Cricket is a game mired in superstition and funny numbers like nelson (111 for those who don’t know) and Australia’s 13, which happens to be 87. 23 is normally associated with Michael Clarke’s ODI jersey number, which he received from Shane Warne.

Yesterday it was Dean Brownlie’s lucky number as he twice survived chances on 23.

The first one of Philander was a spicy bouncer that caught the shoulder of his bat, which Dean Elgar, at gully, failed to get his hands around.

The second life was off Dale Steyn, with Alviro Petersen, also at gully, shelling an easier chance off one that was too close to cut.

Riposte of the day

Despite being hostile and accurate, Steyn was the main sufferer of the slip and gully cordon’s post tea lethargy, with two of the three catches being dropped off his own bowling. During another testing over, he bowled an outswinging beauty that found McCullum’s edge.

Kallis dived to his right and dropped a tough chance. The very next ball, Steyn floated a middle stump half volley, which McCullum dispatched to the midwicket boundary.

It was as dismissive as a riposte could be.

-Khanyiso Tshwaku at Newlands