ADELAIDE: Australia rebounded to a seven-wicket victory over South Africa to end a run of five Test defeats in the day-night third Test in Adelaide on Sunday.
The Australians, rejuvenated by five team changes in response to two humiliating defeats to the Proteas to lose the series, chased down 127 runs for victory after dismissing the tourists for 250 on the fourth day of the pink-ball Test.
Debutant Peter Handscomb hit the winning run to finish one not out with fellow newcomer Matthew Renshaw on 34 in Australia’s 127 for three.
Handscomb came to the wicket after skipper Steve Smith was caught behind for 40 off Kyle Abbott with two runs to win.
The home side also lost the wickets of David Warner and epic first-innings centurion Usman Khawaja along the way.
Warner blazed 47 off 51 balls before he was run out in a mix-up and Khawaja, who batted for almost eight hours in the first innings, lasted just two balls before he was leg before wicket to a Tabraiz Shamsi wrong’un.
Australia’s victory saw off the threat of South Africa taking an unprecedented series clean sweep Down Under and was just the tonic after recrimination over the team’s abject form.
But after seizing a 124-run innings lead, Steve Smith’s team broke down the Proteas resistance for their first Test victory since beating New Zealand by seven wickets in Christchurch in February.
