Australia made a strong comeback on the opening day of the third and final World Test Championship match against South Africa in Cape Town. After struggling during the first session, the visitors fought back through Mitchell Starc, who took six wickets to bowl South Africa out for 329 runs. South Africa started the day brilliantly after Australia chose to bowl first. Openers Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman dominated the Australian bowlers and added 158 runs for the first wicket. They took South Africa to 140 without losing a wicket by lunch, putting the visitors under pressure. South Africa lost more wickets as Nathan Lyon dismissed captain Temba Bavuma, while Cooper Connolly removed Matthew Breetzke for just two runs. The hosts went into tea at 221/4, with Australia beginning to regain control of the match.
After the break, David Bedingham and Wiaan Mulder also lost their wickets. However, Ryan Rickelton scored a useful 42 runs, while Marco Jansen contributed 52 to help South Africa move towards a strong total. Starc then produced a brilliant spell with the second new ball, taking four wickets in six deliveries across his 16th and 17th overs. His late strikes stopped South Africa from building a bigger total and helped Australia dismiss the hosts for 329. Starc finished with figures of 6/72, claiming his 20th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Reflecting on his performance, the left-arm fast bowler said Australia's ability to solve problems during a match helped the team recover after a difficult start.
The opening day saw South Africa dominate early before Australia's bowlers turned the game around. Starc's outstanding performance gave the visitors fresh momentum and set up an exciting second day in the final Test of the World Test Championship series.