Elgar leads SA fightback

Feb 20, 2013

South Africa made three changes to their XI for the second Test and there were a few last-minute concerns over Vernon Philander's fitness. Amid the shuffling, South Africa handed Quinton de Kock a Test debut. Australia, meanwhile, were unchanged•Getty Images

In the next over, Hashim Amla was out lbw to Mitchell Johnson and the hosts were in danger of another batting implosion•AFP

Du Plessis reached his fifty off 117 balls while Elgar got to the landmark in 112 balls •AFP

Elgar added 58 runs for the fourth wicket with AB de Villiers but Lyon broke that partnership, too, dismissing Elgar for 83•AFP

Ryan Harris struck the first blow for the visitors, trapping Graeme Smith leg before for 9 in the fifth over•AFP

Dean Elgar, who opened the batting with Smith, took 20 balls to score his first run, but looked composed at the crease in spite of a few blows to the body•AFP

Importantly for South Africa, the pair added a century stand, stemming the fall of wickets•Associated Press

Steven Smith then ended Quinton de Kock's first Test innings, as the batsman played a lob to mid-off•Associated Press

At the other end, Faf du Plessis struck a few shots early on as the pair steadied the side •AFP

Their 112-run partnership, however, was broken by Nathan Lyon, as du Plessis fell to a soft dismissal for 55, leaving South Africa 145 for 3 at tea•AFP

AB de Villiers, however, was still at the crease for South Africa. The batsman, who created a record for 12 successive Tests with at least a score of fifty, took 124 balls to reach his half-century. He was unbeaten on 51 as South Africa finished at 214 for 5•AFP