Johannesburg - There was a feeling of both sides wiping the slate clean as the fourth Test between the Proteas and Australia got underway at the Wanderers on Good Friday. 

A new-look Australian side congratulated Morne Morkel before the start of play as the lanky Proteas speedster belted out Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika for the final time in South African colours. 

Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted to bat as Australia went into the contest with four forced changes. 

David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith are all back in Australia having been exposed as the perpetrators in last week's Newlands ball-tampering saga, while Mitchell Starc missed out with injury. 

Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns will open the innings for the visitors while Peter Handscomb comes in at No 4. 

Starc's absence meant a debut for 30-year-old Chadd Sayers. 

At lunch on day one, South Africa were 88/1 with Aiden Markram (53*) and Hashim Amla (13*) at the wicket.

LIVE: SA v Australia - 4th Test,  Day 1

Having gone through a horror week in which they saw their captain reduced to tears and their coach step down, the Australians got off to a solid start with ball.

Training hadn’t been easy in the week, and there was a fear that the players would be undercooked, but the lines and lengths early on were probing.

Sayers, in particular, was impressive early on as he got the ball to move around under cloudy skies. 

Dean Elgar was his usual patient self, while at the other end Markram looked in good nick. 

The accurate Australian bowling meant that Elgar found it difficult to score, while Markram was able to capitalise on a few deliveries that were slightly overpitched or a touch wide.

The pair got to their 50-run partnership off 102 balls, but Elgar (19) fell to Nathan Lyon soon after. 

It was an uncharacteristic dismisal for the left-hander, who came down the track and tried to work Lyon through the on side only to chip it to Sayers at mid-off. 

Elgar was beaten by the spin and flight, and the turn Lyon was getting in the first session suggests that the slow bowlers could have a big role to play in this Test. 

Amla, who has had a poor series by his standards, then joined Markram and together the pair got through to lunch. 

Markram was getting better and better, and when he lofted Lyon over mid-on for six, Wanderers sparked into life.

The 23-year-old went to his 50 in the last over before lunch as he punched Sayers down the ground for a boundary.

It certainly wasn't the most electrifying session of Test cricket one has ever seen, but it was a session that went down well after a week of drama and tears.