Mitchell Starc took six wickets as Australia clawed their way back after a poor start to the third Test against South Africa.

The deciding match was left finely poised after day one, with the Proteas bowled out for 329 at stumps after a late flurry of wickets from Starc (6-72).

Australia won the toss and unexpectedly chose to bowl first on what proved to be a batter-friendly wicket, as openers Aiden Markram (78) and Marques Ackerman (95) eased through the morning session.

Ackerman fell just short of his century after being stumped off the bowling of Nathan Lyon (2-71), who also dismissed South Africa captain Temba Bavuma for a three-ball duck after Josh Hazlewood (1-59) got the better of Markram.

David Bedingham (50) got the hosts back on track before Starc removed both him and Wiaan Mulder (0) with short balls in the same over.

Ryan Rickelton (42) and Marco Jansen (52) put on a 95-run partnership as the Proteas looked on course to reach 400, but Starc was given the new ball and sent both set batters back to the stands in quick succession.

And South Africa were all out in Starc's next over, as he bowled Gerald Coetzee (0) and trapped Kagiso Rabada (0) LBW in the space of three balls.

Stumps, Day 1!  A flurry of wickets brings the day’s play to a close as #TheProteas are bowled out for 329 after 82.3 overs.  We return tomorrow for Day 2, with play set to begin at 10:30am as Australia will come out to begin their first innings.  #Unbreakable #SAvAUS https://t.co/2BgCEZ56FJ

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 27, 2026

Starc rises to the occasion

In Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Rabada, this is the first Test to feature five bowlers with 300+ red-ball wickets to their name.

And it was Starc who stood tall on day one.

Starc recorded his 20th five-wicket haul in the longest format, the sixth-most of any Australian, and picked up three key wickets in Bedingham, Rickelton and Jansen.

Australia will no doubt be pleased to restrict South Africa to a first-innings total under 400, and the Proteas could end up regretting their collapse after the first session.

After being 158-0 and 203-1, South Africa quickly found themselves 232-5 and all out for just 329 on what was certainly a wicket that favoured the batters.

The likes of Rabada and Jansen will now have to pick up the slack with the ball in Cape Town, but the pressure is still on the Australian batters to perform after a dismal showing in the second Test.