From having Australia 124 for 6, four hours into their first Test of the summer, South Africa went on to spend six more in the field, and bowl just short of 140 overs. They conceded a record Australian ninth-wicket stand (away) as the absence of Kagiso Rabada, in particular, showed but it was less about not being able to chop off the tail and more about the lack of pressure South Africa created, especially in the period just before and after lunch.
After taking two wickets before the first drinks break on Saturday and with Australia 230 for 8, South Africa would have been looking to wrap things up quickly. The next hour passed slowly as Renshaw willed and worked himself to his second Test hundred. By then, his partnership with Lyon, who was playing the perfect foil on 7 off 31 balls, had grown to 47. They were scoring easily but not quickly and Renshaw deliberately turned down runs in favour of keeping strike. Eager to get to the break, South Africa went double spin for the two overs before lunch and Renshaw took a single off the fourth and fifth balls of those overs. That was a sign of things to come.
In 11 overs after lunch, Renshaw made sure he was on strike for the first ball of every over, always taking a single no earlier than the fourth ball. During that time, South Africa bowled Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, with Renshaw able to take singles mostly behind square on the leg side or straight down the ground as South Africa failed to plug gaps. Could they have had fielders closer in, to try and stop those runs and force a mistake? Maybe, conceded Wiaan Mulder afterwards.
"Bowling to [Renshaw], it just seemed like he got off strike so easily," Mulder said at the post-day press conference. "His approach from the first four balls of the over to the last two was so different. Maybe that's where we could have been smarter with the field. Sometimes it felt a bit easy for him and it was just like how can he get off strike at will? So maybe that's something to think about especially as the game progresses. If a batter is in and he's batting with a tail-ender, maybe we should make it a little bit harder for him to get off strike."
Eventually, South Africa went back to Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen, who tried a short-ball tactic to dislodge Renshaw, who finished with 190 off 397, but he was wise to it. Renshaw said he "put the pull shot," away for some of that time, specifically because he wanted to eliminate the risk that comes with playing it and keep South Africa in the field for as long as possible.
"A lot of thinking today was about how many balls do we need the bowlers to face? How many balls can I face? How do I get off strike when I need to?" Renshaw said. "Probably some of the weirdest shots I've ever played today - the back foot, back away, drop to point was my favourite one - was thinking what we can try and do. Once they started spreading that field, it was tough. It was almost trying to hit twos. But I knew that the time that we're spending out there was the benefit for us. Just keeping them out in the field, get their quicks coming back on."
Renshaw specifically mentioned that he noted Nortje and Jansen bowled 28 and 31 overs respectively. Mulder, too, put in a big shift with 27 overs and was "really glad I'm not batting at No. 3 after bowling." He indicated that fatigue accrues interest and could take the highest toll on Nortje, who has not played a Test in more than three years. "As soon as you go over 20 overs, those miles in the legs do impact you at some stage," Mulder said. "It's the first Test so most of our bowlers are fresh. Whether you'll see Anna [Nortje] in the second Test, I'm not sure. Someone like him who bowls express pace, you don't necessarily want him to be playing all the Test matches. I'm not on the selection panel or anything like that but miles in the legs does play a role of course."
It took its toll on Ryan Rickelton, who spent a significant amount of the day under the helmet at short leg and was dismissed off the third ball he faced. David Bedingham shared that responsibility with Rickelton and may have been cursing having to replace him so early on in the reply but, like Mulder, may recognise the opportunity. Bedingham is making his return to the Test side after being dropped for the subcontinent tours a year ago. Mulder, meanwhile, was given the new-ball in Rabada's absence. "I didn't know until the morning of the game. I think it suits my skill set, as long as the ball is moving," Mulder said. "I was quite chuffed that I got the opportunity to be honest I'm glad I grabbed it."
Mulder took wickets with both the first and second new ball and showed the value of medium-pace with movement, a la Vernon Philander. "I've always tried to bowl faster and I'm pretty sure most of the media has always written about me bowling not fast enough, so that's something I've always carried with me. But in the end, there have been very successful bowlers at my pace," he said. "It's about accepting who you are and trying your best every time. That's pretty much what I'm trying to do."
Mulder also needed more back up than South Africa had. The two spinners took just one wicket between them in 48.2 overs, though their role could become more pronounced as the game went on. Mulder was careful not to be too critical. "I don't think anything went wrong," he said. "I think they played well. We executed most of our plans. Maybe we could have all touched [a] fuller [length] but we spoke about that before Matt Renshaw got in. Maybe here and there we got some tactical things wrong or it could have been different but in the end, it's just a good innings."
South Africa showed utmost respect for Renshaw's knock and when stumps were drawn and Australia gestured for Aiden Markram and Bedingham to walk off first, Markram allowed Renshaw to lead the players off. Mulder also gave more praise to Renshaw's approach than South Africa's lapses. "He played what was in front of him. He left well and keeping the strike was the most important thing at the time. I think he played the situation beautifully," Mulder said. "You could see it drifting a little bit but I think he did what was necessary for Australia to get a decent score."
Under what is forecast to be clear, blue skies early on day three, South Africa will hope for batting conditions as good as Australia had and Mulder expects they will get it. "The toughest session generally is the last session when the clouds come over and it's a little bit dark. The lights come on and that's when the ball really moves at its most," he said. "As a team, we're going to have to have good game plans tomorrow. All of us want to be a permanent fixture in this team So there's a lot of motivation and commitment to what we want to do tomorrow. If it plays the way it played for most of today, it's going to be a good Test match."