Australian spinner Nathan Lyon took 3-14 as South Africa were bowled out for 152 at tea on the first day of the opening Test at Brisbane's Gabba ground on Saturday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After Australian captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl on a green wicket under cloudy skies, South Africa never recovered from a disastrous start that saw them slump to 27-4 after 11 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The only batters to defy the Australian attack were wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and number four Temba Bavuma, who rescued the visitors from complete annihilation with a 98-run partnership.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But once Bavuma fell for 38 midway through the second session, South Africa lost steady wickets on a surface that got faster as the day wore on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Australians will feel vindicated by Cummins' decision to go against the norm in Brisbane by bowling first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The morning conditions had looked ideal for Australia's potent pace attack, but Mitchell Starc and Cummins were wayward early, causing no real problems for the batters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Starc began the rot with the first ball of the third over when South African captain Dean Elgar tickled a ball down the leg side to keeper Alex Carey.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cummins began to find his line and length and was next to strike, with Rassie van der Dussen getting a faint edge to a ball that moved off the seam to leave South Africa 27-2.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
That soon became 27-3 when Sarel Erwee got a thick edge off Scott Boland for Cameron Green to take a brilliant catch in the gully, low and to his left.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Two balls later it was 27-4 when Boland trapped Khaya Zondo lbw for a duck.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Verreynne decided to play his strokes, and with Bavuma grafting at the other end, they began the recovery.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The pair continued to counter-attack after lunch, Verreynne bringing up 50 from 63 balls and Bavuma playing with more freedom.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But with his score on 38, Bavuma was bowled by Starc off an inside edge to leave South Africa 125-5.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Towering allrounder Marco Jansen never looked convincing in his stay and eventually holed out to Green at mid-wicket for two after trying to smash off-spinner Nathan Lyon out of the ground.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Keshav Maharaj was even less convincing, edging Starc to Steve Smith at second slip as South Africa slumped to 135-7.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Verreynne played beautifully but he was eventually undone by Lyon, edging to Smith at slip for 64 to leave the visitors 139-8.<\/p>\r\n\r\n