A few dot balls take us to the 10 over mark.

Mitchell Starc is out of the attack. It is time for spin in the form of Nathan Lyon.

Clobbered for four more by Aiden Markram.

A bit of a wider delivery from Pat Cummins, but Markram adjusts and places the ball on an identical line to his cover drive in the previous over.

He's averaging over 58.5 in Test cricket against Australia.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on X

Glorious day in Cape Town and the Aussies decide to bowl… Very, very unlike Australia.

South Africa opener Marques Ackerman is making just his second Test outing.

On debut at Gqeberha, Ackerman only got one chance to impress. He scored just six runs.

Currently at a Test-best of 16, he will hope to make better on his chance in this series-decider.

Five runs from that last over.

Simon Katich
Former Australia batter on Sky Sports

I hope the decision [to bowl] wasn't around the make-up of this Australia batting line. You can run but can't hide in Test cricket. At some point you have to face the music. I find it hard to see why you would bowl first.

Stylish stuff from Aiden Markram.

He punches a cover drive to the rope to continue this growing opening partnership.

Seven runs come from that Pat Cummins over.

Mitchell Starc to continue for a fifth straight over at the other end.

SA 31-0published at 7.5 overs

7.5 overs

I certainly wasn't expecting to be writing about a six this early into the innings!

Four good balls to start from Pat Cummins, but the next is a tad shorter and Aiden Markram goes all-out attack on it.

An outrageous, but impeccably-timed lofted shot sends the ball flying over the rope in between deep square and deep mid-wicket.

Australia captain Pat Cummins brings himself into the attack in place of Josh Hazlewood.

Will a change in the attack bring a change in Australia's fortunes?

Earlier this morning, we saw South Africa great Graeme Smith stood next to his 13-year-old son in the commentary box.

The resemblance was uncanny. Smith joked that his son was the better batter of the two of them.

Just that nervy single from Ackerman comes from the other as Aiden Markram restores some calm.

And Nathan Lyon almost gets a catch fielding at leg slip.

Mitchell Starc goes short and Marques Ackerman's attempted pull shot did not have the desired control.

The ball goes just wide of Lyon, but Australia will have taken encouragement from seeing that.

Australia's fielders are starting to get into this game, with Nathan Lyon, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne all called into action in the over.

Just a couple of scampered singles are added to South Africa's total.

Mitchell Starc is getting his speeds up as Aiden Markram feels the force of a delivery bouncing on to his forearm.

Marques Ackerman times the final delivery of the over to perfection as Starc bowls straighter than he had been doing so. The Test newcomer flicks the ball through the leg side for four more.

Six runs from the over.

Marques Ackerman follows up that last boundary with a perfectly-timed cover drive, although there is a fielder in the way to make a good diving stop and save a few runs.

A block from Aiden Markram ends the over.

Four more for Marques Ackerman, a little clip off the hips down through fine leg adds another boundary to the total.

South Africa are picking their moments well in these early overs.

Another four for Aiden Markram and this one is a thing of beauty.

Bouncing up at Markram, he jumps and meets the ball on the rise, playing a gorgeous drive through extra cover to end the over with a boundary.

Image source, Getty Images

Aiden Markram picks up the first boundary of the day, just guiding the ball away through leg and it runs down for four.

Given Australia recent issues with the bat, plus Steve Smith's absence, South Africa will be hoping to set a big total and put the visitors under immediate pressure.