Australia’s experienced bowling attack continued to deliver as the tourists defeated South Africa by 214 runs in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Batter Matt Renshaw starred with scores of 190 and 82, but Australia’s bowlers sealed the victory by dismissing South Africa twice. Josh Hazlewood led the attack with career-best Test figures of 6-49.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon also played key roles, highlighting the value of Australia’s experienced bowling unit.

Hazlewood, 35, returned to top form after injuries kept him out of the previous Ashes series. Cummins, 33, Starc, 36, and Lyon, 38, provided further experience and support.

Cummins Praises Preparation and Teamwork

Australia captain Pat Cummins credited the bowlers’ preparation for their performance. He said the team had worked hard since the previous Ashes series to reach the current stage in strong condition.

KSE-100 Falls Below 165,000 as Political Uncertainty Weighs on PSX

“Before that Darwin test (against Bangladesh in August) we did a lot of work, a big training block to get ahead of the eight ball and pay dividends down the track, which is, I guess, now,” Cummins said.

He also highlighted the importance of managing workloads and resting players when necessary. Backup fast bowlers Scott Boland and Michael Neser have continued training with the squad and remain options for Australia.

Lyon, meanwhile, said he felt in the best shape of his career despite approaching his 39th birthday. The spinner recently worked his way back from a hamstring injury.

“The amount of work that I’ve put in, I’ve never had any doubt that I’ll get back,” Lyon said.

He added that he had avoided alcohol for some time and wanted to make the most of the cricket still ahead of him.

“I still feel like there’s a lot of decent cricket ahead of me, that’s for sure,” he said.

Hazlewood Reaches Australian Test Milestone

Hazlewood said he was pleased with his performance during the final two days in Durban.

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” he said. “I’m a bit older than I used to be, but everything’s feeling good.”

His six-wicket haul took his Test tally to 311 wickets, moving him past Brett Lee into eighth place on Australia’s all-time Test wicket-taking list, according to the report.

Cummins praised Hazlewood’s skill with both the new ball and a reversing ball.

“He obviously gets spoken about a lot for his consistency, but I think that undersells him,” Cummins said.

The captain also praised Hazlewood and Starc for putting the team’s needs first.

“They’re just, whatever the team needs, they’ll just roll up their sleeves and go to work,” he said. “A captain’s dream.”

Australia’s victory gives the tourists an early advantage in the series. Their experienced attack will look to maintain that momentum in the remaining Tests.