Inglis and Carey steer Australia to 330/4 at stumps in Cape Town on Day 2 of third Test

Josh Inglis and Alex Carey combined for an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 145 to put Australia in control of the deciding third Test against South Africa in Cape Town on Day 2, taking the visitors to 330/4 at stumps.

Inglis was unbeaten on 85 with nine fours and two sixes while Carey finished 51 not out as Australia edged past South Africa’s first-innings total of 329 in the final over of the day. Playing his first Test since December, Inglis led a dominant final session in which the visitors added 139 runs without losing a wicket; Carey registered his first half-century in 12 Test innings and the pair produced Australia’s first century-plus fifth-wicket stand against South Africa since 2014.

Earlier in the innings, Matt Renshaw made 74 and Cameron Green scored 65 after a promising opening stand between Renshaw and Travis Head got Australia off to a solid start. The openers had built momentum before South Africa’s off-spinner produced a breakthrough.

Simon Harmer struck twice in the same over, bowling Travis Head for 41 after the batter chopped the ball onto his stumps and removing Marnus Labuschagne for a five-ball duck when Labuschagne edged to slip.

Renshaw and Green then added a 126-run third-wicket partnership, taking Australia to 148/2 before lunch and carrying their partnership into the afternoon session; both reached half-centuries, with Green particularly aggressive against Kagiso Rabada.

Marco Jansen shifted the contest by dismissing both set batters within two overs: Renshaw was caught behind after attempting to attack a short delivery, the decision confirmed by DRS, the wicket marking Jansen’s 100th in Test cricket, and Green followed soon after edging to slip.

The three-match series is level at 1-1: Australia won the opening Test in Durban by 214 runs, South Africa responded with an innings-and-31-run victory in Gqeberha, and the third and final Test in Cape Town remains finely poised, with Australia holding the advantage after a strong batting display.