South Africa’s pace attack reduced Australia to 124-6 on a rain-shortened opening day of the first Test at Kingsmead, before Matt Renshaw and Pat Cummins fought back to take the visitors to 187-6 at stumps on Friday.
Only 65.2 overs were possible after bad light stopped play at 15:22, just after tea.
Renshaw finished unbeaten on 46 and Cummins on 33, their unbroken 63-run seventh-wicket stand off 140 balls the biggest partnership of the innings.
Cummins won the toss and batted under cloudless skies.
Wiaan Mulder struck early, with Travis Head gloving down the leg side to Kyle Verreynne, before Marco Jansen bowled Nick Maddinson for a 33-ball duck on his first first-class appearance since March last year.
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne rebuilt with a 60-run stand in 96 balls, Labuschagne the aggressor and Smith hitting two sixes off Keshav Maharaj.
Mulder broke the stand before lunch with a nip-backer to remove Labuschagne for 84-3.
Jansen removed Smith immediately after the break, with Mulder taking a low catch in the gully.
Renshaw and Alex Carey added 36, before Anrich Nortje, playing his first Test in three-and-a-half years, struck twice in an over to remove Carey and Beau Webster.
With Kagiso Rabada rested after a hamstring strain, Mulder, Jansen and Nortje each took two wickets to lead South Africa’s charge.
