Twitter Reactions: South Africa on the ropes after Cameron Green's maiden fifer

Australia raced to a commanding position in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG after Cam Green's maiden five-wicket haul rolled over the hosts for a modest total.

By Chaitanya Prakash

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Cameron Green
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Cameron Green. (Photo Source: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Australia dominated the proceedings on the first day of the Boxing Day Test against the Proteas after bundling the visitors for another below-par score in the series. Cameron Green starred for the hosts with a glittering five-for before the batters ensured their advantage, keeping the Protean pacers at bay in a nervy final session.

Australia, in reply to a modest total by the visitors, lost Usman Khawaja cheaply. But his opening partner, David Warner, who was appearing in his 100th Test match, came out with positive intent on a venue where he made his international debut for Australia in 2009. His innings meant that the home side finished the first day strongly with the scoreboard reading 45/1.

Earlier in the day, Australia raised a few eyebrows after electing to bowl first on a benign surface at the MCG. However, Pat Cummins' decision proved to be a masterstroke as the Protean top order flattered to decisive yet again in the longest format of the game. 

Dean Elgar, along with Sarel Erwee, made a sedated start to the innings and were looking fairly comfortable at the crease, that is, until the local hero Scott Boland was introduced into the attack. The Victorian rewarded his skipper with a breakthrough on just his tenth delivery of the match, sucking Erwee into a loose drive. 

Cameron Green runs through the Protean middle-order after Verreynne and Jansen's riposte

The Proteas consolidated after that early wicket as the incoming Theunis de Bruyn thwarted the Aussie pacers commendably, along with his skipper at the other end. However, he gifted his wicket to the home side after miscuing a pull shot. The Aussies took full advantage of the momentum in front of a vociferous MCG crowd that paid tribute to the late great Shane Warne during the match. 

The visitors completely lost the plot and lost three wickets in the space of 20 deliveries, thanks to some brilliant work in the field by Marnus Labuschagne. The Proteas were staring at another low score, with the team struggling at 67-5. However, Kyle Verreynne, along with Marco Jansen, fought back for the visitors with a defiant 112-run stand for the sixth wicket. 

Australia were struggling to break the partnership as their shoulders dropped in the final session of the opening day of the MCG Test. But, Cameron Green, who grabbed big bucks in the recently conducted IPL 2023 auction by becoming Mumbai Indians' most expensive signing of all time, dented the Protean hopes by dismissing both the set batters in the space of three deliveries. He went on to compile glittering bowling figures of 5/25, his maiden five-for in Test cricket.

Here is how Twitter reacted to a clinical performance by the Aussies on the first day of the Boxing Test:

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Australia v South Africa 2022-23South AfricaAustraliaCameron GreenDavid Warner