Johannesburg : Aiden Markram scored 152 and AB de Villiers hit 69 as South Africa built a strong position at 313 for 6 on Friday on the first day of the fourth and final Test against Australia after they won the toss and batted firstat the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
With the match being overshadowed by the fallout of the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test the Proteas got off to a bright start against their weakened opponents.
It was Markram’s fourth century in ten Tests in what has been a remarkable debut season for the 23-year-old opening batsman.
He again showed sound technique and good temperament allied with clean drives off front and back foot and some strong pull shots. There were 11 fours and a straight six off Nathan Lyon as he reached his hundred off 152 balls.
In what appeared to be a public commitment to play in a spirit of sportsmanship after a tumultuous week, the teams lined up to shake hands with their opponents after the national anthems, while captains Faf du Plessis and Tim Paine — who replaced the banned Steve Smith — had a warm conversation before the toss.