Australia vs South Africa second Test Day 2: David Warner shows his heroics with a double hundred and Steve Smith’s 85 runs helped Australia to get a lead of 197 at the end of day 2.
David Warner continued his innings on 32 runs as Australia was 45 – 1 on Day 1. Warner hits an early boundary to Kagiso Rabada and shows his aggressive intent towards proteas bowlers. Nortje bowled some decent heat and smashed warner on the helmet when he was playing on 47 runs. Warner was declared all cleared to play after some formal checkup on the field.
But just after 2 balls as the match resumed warner guided Nortje’s ball for a single and wanted to take two but Marnus Labuschagne hesitated and got run out despite his full-length dive. Marnus departed after making 14 (35) balls. Warner was suffering from leg cramps but he decided to continue batting despite of pain.
There comes Steve Smith who got much luck and got two chances. Firstly he was dropped on nine runs by Keeper Kyle Verreynne and on the second time, he escaped a caught behind call as it was called a front foot No ball. Smith reaps the benefit of these chances and scored his 37th Test fifty. Warner on the other hand fought really well in spite of the leg pain and completes his double hundred 200 (254) with 16 Fours and 2 sixes and was retired hurt and taken off the field.
This is the 100th Test match for warner and he joins the elite club after scoring a double hundred in the first innings. Warner becomes the second batsman to score a double hundred in his 100th Test match. Before that Joe Root scored 218 against India in 2021. There is a list of players who scored centuries in their 100th Test match but only Warner is the second one to convert it into a double century.
Shortly after warner retired hurt Nortje dismissed Steve Smith on 86 (161) at the gully where Theunis de Bruyn completes the catch. Cameron Green was hit on the right hand with a nasty delivery of Norjte and he had to go back as retired hurt with a lot of pain. Remember that three players are injured in just two days of this Test as Mitchel Starc was also injured on day one attempting a diving catch.
Travis Head played run a ball 48 runs and Australis is 386 – 3 at the end of the second day’s play. Travis Head and Alex Carey will continue tomorrow on 48 and 9 runs respectively. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje only manage to take one wicket each on both days.
