Ricky Ponting and Matt Hayden shared a 152-run stand to nullify South Africa’s early breakthrough on Monday, lifting Australia to 162 for two at tea on day one of the second cricket Test.
Ponting won the toss, decided Australia would bat first on a moist pitch and then joined Hayden at the crease in the third over.
Phil Jacques’s (2) debut innings lasted 12 balls before he popped a simple catch off Shaun Pollock to Jacques Rudolph at short leg with the total at two.
Ponting stroked nine boundaries in his unbeaten 83, increasing his tally to 1 499 Test runs for 2005. The Australian captain is four runs shy of his career-best haul of 1 503 for a calendar year — scored in 2003 — which is second on the all-time list behind former West Indies captain Viv Richards, who plundered 1 710 in 11 Tests in 1976.
Hayden hit nine boundaries from 177 balls before he was out for 65 about 10 minutes before tea, gliding a lazy edge off Pollock to Graeme Smith at first slip.
Brad Hodge, who posted a double 100 in the drawn first Test at Perth last week, was not out on five at the break.
After the start was delayed by 30 minutes because umpires decided heavy overnight watering made the pitch too damp, Ponting had some early luck.
He got off the mark with an edge through a vacant third slip and had a reprieve on 17 when he pulled Jacques Kallis to square leg and was dropped by Andre Nel.
But Ponting found his touch with consecutive boundaries off Nel’s first two deliveries, hitting the fence with well-timed pull and cut shots and continued that form in the middle session.
Pollock was the only successful South African bowler in the first two sessions, returning 2-43 in 15 overs.
Kallis, who missed the first Test because of an injured left elbow, was off the field for two overs after hurting his left leg as he slid while bowling at Hayden in his sixth over.
He bowled seven overs untroubled in the middle session and had 0-40 from 12,5 overs.
Kallis replaced injured all-rounder Justin Kemp in one of two changes to the South Africa line-up that batted through the last four sessions last week to force a draw in Perth.
Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje (0-20) came in for swing-bowler Charl Langeveldt.
Australia also made two changes, with Jacques coming in for injured opener Justin Langer and legspinner Stuart MacGill recalled in favour of seamer Nathan Bracken.
A crowd of 70 000 was expected for the opening day at the newly refurbished Melbourne Cricket Ground. — Sapa-AP