A declaration of intent

The third Test may have started with the bad aftertaste of a ball-tampering row but it only steeled the man at the centre of it all, South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis, to do all that was in his power to set Australia on the back foot and possibly condemn them to their first ever series whitewash at home.

He did that on the first day through a fabulous century that rescued his team from 44 for three, but he also utilized his role as captain to twist the knife in further. 

Australia opener David Warner had just returned to the field after seeking treatment off the field on an injured shoulder.

Under cricket's rules, a player must be on the field for the same time they spent off it before being able to bowl or bat again -- in Warner's case, he was caught short.

"I listened to the conversation he had with the umpires -- one ear talking to the batter, one ear listening to him," du Plessis told AFP.

"And then I heard he had six minutes left before he could bat again so I thought 'let's have a crack'."

Du Plessis showed his captaincy smarts by upsetting the Australian team's plans as they had to reshuffle their opening pair with Usman Khawaja having to join Test debutant Matt Renshaw at a testing period to stumps.

"It was just for me to take them a little bit out of their comfort zone and put someone else to open the batting," he said.