First Test, Durban (day four of five)

Australia 390 & 314-6 dec: Renshaw 82; Nortje 2-56, Maharaj 2-56

South Africa 284 & 102-4: Bedingham 46, Markram 45*; Hazlewood 2-20

South Africa need 319 runs to win

Scorecard

Australia are primed to earn a statement victory and end South Africa’s unbeaten run under captain Temba Bavuma after Matt Renshaw’s remarkable Test continued on day four of their series opener in Durban.

Renshaw, in his second game back after a three-year absence, followed his 190 in the first innings with 89 to allow Australia to declare on 314-6. The 30-year-old then dismissed Bavuma with his part-time off-spin late in the day for his first Test wicket.

Captain Pat Cummins followed with a perfect set-up of Tristan Stubbs – pushing him back with shorter balls before nicking him off with a full delivery – to leave South Africa 102-4 at the close.

Set a world record 421 to win, they need to bat out the final day for a draw with six wickets remaining.

South Africa have won 11 and drawn one of their Tests under Bavuma’s captaincy, including their run to the 2025 World Test Championship final where they beat Australia at Lord’s.

This is the first Test in a South African summer that includes two more against the Australians, two against Bangladesh and three against England over Christmas.

Even bad light, which cut short the first three days, did not come to South Africa’s aid on the fourth evening.

The Proteas’ hopes rest largely on the shoulders of opener Aiden Markram who battled to 45 not out from 115 balls.

The right-hander scored a sensational 136 against Australia in the fourth innings of their Test Championship final win and only one active player – Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis – can better his average of 45.56 in the fourth innings of Tests.

Dragging South Africa out of this position will require immense skill, however. Only twice has a team survived 140 overs to save a Test in the past 13 years.

While Markram shared a stand of 66 in 19.4 overs with David Bedingham the pitch appeared becalmed, but by the close even Renshaw was finding extravagant turn.

One thing in Markram’s favour is he has now faced 313 balls from Australia’s premier spinner Nathan Lyon in Tests and is yet to be dismissed.

Australia may also be without the fielding excellence of Steve Smith. The former captain spent time off the field on day four having been hit on the helmet by a Anrich Nortje bouncer in making 27.

After Ryan Rickelton top-edged a loose pull shot to Josh Hazlewood in the fourth over, Markram showed similar to restraint to that shown by Renshaw in his first-innings hundred.

Renshaw again held Australia’s innings together, but was more adventurous in his strokeplay to set up his side’s declaration.

Whether bad light returns on the final day may determine if the tourists were right to bat on until tea.