SA vs AUS 1st ODI Results

4:22 PM IST The captain of Australia - Mitchell Marsh says they are disappointed after feeling they were outplayed, admitting they fell well short despite making a strong start to the chase. He notes that they scored around 100 runs in the first 10 overs, but were unable to build on that platform. Marsh says South Africa's approach was largely expected, with the hosts building their innings before accelerating in the final 10-15 overs. He credits Breetzke and Jansen for batting particularly well, adding that the short boundary made them difficult to bowl to. Marsh says they tried to push for extra wickets but could not quite make the breakthrough they needed. Reflecting on the collapse, Marsh says they managed to bring the required rate down and knew partnerships would be crucial from there. He identifies Maharaj and Fortuin as key threats but admits Australia were unable to execute their plans consistently enough. He adds that the defeat provides a valuable learning opportunity ahead of the second game, where they will look to apply those lessons and level the series. Looking ahead to the next game, Marsh says he is unsure how the wicket in Johannesburg is playing these days, having not played there for some time. However, he expects the ball to travel well and jokes that, as someone who no longer bowls, it will be nice to head out there as a batter.

4:18 PM IST The victorious skipper of South Africa - Temba Bavuma says it is very satisfying, and he credits both the batters and the bowlers for a good overall effort. Looking back at the first 10 overs of both innings, he says Australia managed to put South Africa under pressure early, but the batting unit still got to a competitive score on that wicket. With the ball, he adds, the team stuck to their task and ended up on the right side of the result. On his expectations coming into the game, Bavuma says his first hope was to win the toss, because he knew it would be tough for the batting unit. Explains that they had to adapt to the conditions, with Australia hitting Test lengths, but the side fought and stayed in the game. He singles out Breetzke for showing tremendous character, something the whole group appreciates, and says Jansen's punches down the order took them to a good total. When Australia came to chase, Bavuma adds, they piled on the pressure too, which is exactly what South Africa expects from a team like them. The challenge, he says, was to keep the body language positive and wait for the opportunities to turn the game their way. On being asked about the two spinners (Maharaj and Fortuin) who bowled so well, Bavuma admits the group probably lacks a bit of experience at this level. But he says they make up for it with a strong desire to do it for the team, and they are hungry to perform. Says having Keshav in the spin department helps the attack, and Fortuin brings a wealth of experience too, so the two balance each other out. All in all, he says, they managed it quite well.

4:18 PM IST The battle moves to Johannesburg - That brings us to the end of an entertaining contest, with South Africa taking an early lead in the series. They will now look to seal it in the next game, while Australia will be aiming to level things up. The 2nd ODI takes place at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, 27 September, with the match being played as the 'Pink ODI'. South Africa will wear their pink kit to raise awareness for breast cancer. The action begins at 8 am GMT, but make sure to join us early for all the build-up. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

4:13 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Matthew Breetzke wins the award for his fantastic hundred, scoring 112 off 106 balls. When Pommie Mbangwa asks whether he has had a moment to reflect on his innings, Breetzke says he honestly has not, not yet. He says he would rank his innings right up there. He points to how tricky things were early on, with wickets falling at the other end against a world-class attack. Says that left him no choice but to dig deep. It drained him mentally, he admits, but he is grateful to have made the hundred and batted through to the end. On the discussions with his teammates about the conditions, Breetzke shares that the message was to stay nice and straight. Highlights that this was a surface that punished anyone playing too square, and a couple of batters found that out through leading edges. On the partnership with Jansen and whether there was a talk about him (Jansen) taking on the attack, Breetzke says it was not a set plan, more a case of the big man being at his best. Details that Jansen got one away early, kept riding the momentum, and that he (Breetzke) was happy to feed him the strike. When he is asked about batting at number four and bringing up a hundred from there, Breetzke says he has been in the role for the last year or so and is settling into it now. The celebration, he adds, was more about how tough the early going was, because he had to fight his way out of it.

4:13 PM IST Spinners turn the game - Most teams might have lost hope after the way South Africa started with the ball, but not the hosts. They kept believing, and Keshav Maharaj provided the first breakthrough before the Proteas steadily took control. The spinners were outstanding through the middle overs, squeezing the scoring and picking up wickets, with Maharaj adding two more to his tally and Bjorn Fortuin claiming two as well. Corbin Bosch also took two, while Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen chipped in with one apiece. Jansen's stunning catch to dismiss Matt Renshaw all but sealed the game, before Maharaj fittingly returned to wrap things up, with Matthew Breetzke taking the final catch to cap a memorable day for the hosts.

4:12 PM IST Presentation Time...