Marnus Labuschagne responded to being left out of Australia’s World Cup squad and their XI in the first ODI in Bloemfontein as only he can: with a hugely influential performance as a concussion substitute. Much like the impression he made during the 2019 Ashes, when he replaced Steven Smith halfway through the Lord’s Test before going on to top the series run charts, Labuschagne gave the selectors a timely reminder of what he can offer in the 50-overs format.

He replaced Cameron Green, who was sconed by a Kagiso Rabada bouncer in the sixth over, and got to the crease with Australia on 72 for 5 in their chase of 223. They slipped to 113 for 7 before Labuschagne and Ashton Agar put on an unbroken 112 in 145 balls, a record for the eighth wicket in Bloemfontein, to seal a comprehensive win.

Their efforts trumped Temba Bavuma’s third ODI hundred in six matches this year and successive centuries in Bloemfontein as he stood man alone. Bavuma was dropped on 2 and 88, scored only 30 runs off his first 50 balls, had only one partner who stayed with him for longer than 10 overs – Marco Jansen – and saw South Africa slip to 185 for 9, but dragged them past 220 with an unbeaen 114 off 142 balls. He became just the second South African to carry his bat in an ODI innings after Herschelle Gibbs in Sharjah in March 2000.

But his efforts were in vain and also left an unanswered question for the rest of the series and the World Cup that follows. Bavuma suffered from cramp towards the end of his knock, on a not especially hot day in early spring, and was only in the field for a short while during Australia’s chase with T20I captain Aiden Markram making most of the tactical decisions on field.

Australia have now won four matches in a row on this tour, and have now also snapped a run of five successive ODI defeats to South Africa.

Thinking caps were needed on a Bloemfontein surface that did not play to its reputation as laden with runs. The surface was slow and had evidence of variable bounce, which evened out as the match grew long.

Australia’s chase started just before sunset, when there was still a little something in the surface. But the pitch had nothing to do with David Warner’s dismissal. He tried to crack a wide Marco Jansen ball through point but played on instead and was dismissed for a duck.

Rabada started out off-colour and missed his lengths in his first two overs but roared back to take two wickets in two overs and Green out of the match with a concussion. With the first ball of his third over, Rabada managed to find late away swing and Mitchell Marsh’s leading edge as the Australian captain tried to hit him through midwicket. Marsh was caught behind. Two balls later, he fired in a 140kph bouncer that angled in from off stump and hit Green on the left ear flap as he turned his head to the offside. There was swelling behind his ear which was visible immediately and he left the field for treatment. In Rabada’s next over, he offered some fuller deliveries before going back of a length and Josh Inglis inside-edged him onto his stumps.

Lungi Ngidi was brought on at the other end and, after a T20I series in which he went wicketless, had Travis Head caught at square leg by Rabada. Australia finished the Powerplay on 69 for 4.

Gerald Coetzee was brought on the 12th over to bowl his first international delivery in his hometown and thrilled the locals with a wicket with his first ball. He beat Alex Carey’s flick, made a mess of the stumps, and pulled out a vein-popping celebration. That brought Labuschagne to the crease, with Australia in need of a partnership. Marcus Stoinis did not help him provide one. He was rushed by Coetzee’s pace and his pull shot found Heinrich Klaasen at midwicket.

Coetzee’s emotions were only matched by those of Keshav Maharaj, who made his ODI comeback after recovering from a ruptured Achilles sustained in March while celebrating a wicket in a Test against West Indies. His third ball spun past Sean Abbott’s bat onto his off stump and Maharaj pulled out a fist pump but did not set off on a victory run. That was where South Africa’s success stopped.

Australia’s scoring rate in those first 16.4 overs, thanks in large part to Head’s 28-ball 33, was seven an over, well above the required 4.46. That meant there was little pressure on Labuschagne and the lower order to score quickly, and they did not have to take many risks. He and Agar punished anything that erred on length but were also happy to go 13 overs without a boundary from the 23rd to the 37th over, as South Africa applied something of a squeeze. They were unable to stop the strike rotation, though, and that’s how Australia wore them down. Labuschagne eventually found four off Rabada and Australia only needed 15 runs in the last 13 overs. They got there with 9.4 overs to spare.

South Africa’s innings was played in exactly the opposite way. They started slowly, with only 25 runs in the Powerplay – the lowest at this venue – and the loss of Quinton de Kock. Bavuma was fortunate to survive after he edged Abbott’s first ball to point but Agar went for the catch with one hand and put it down.

Rassie van der Dussen was run out cheaply when he Abbott straight to mid-off and hesitated before deciding on the run while Bavuma was ball-watching. Van der Dussen motored towards the non-striker’s end and by the time he turned back, the ball was on its way to Carey who broke the stumps.

Aiden Markram looked more composed and managed two signature cover drives before he top-edged Green miles into the bright blue sky. A sunglass-less Carey judged the catch well. Heinrich Klaasen was bowled by a Stoinis delivery that kept low and David Miller nicked off second ball to open up the lower order with only 100 on the board.

Jansen is the only genuine allrounder in South Africa’s World Cup squad and he showed why he deserves that tag. He put on 57 with Bavuma and looked in control until he played a Josh Hazlewood delivery onto his stumps. Coetzee, Maharaj and Rabada fell within 17 runs of each other to leave Bavuma with the No.11, Ngidi, for 6.4 overs. Bavuma farmed the strike and even refused runs and reached his hundred off the 136th ball he faced before adding 14 more to his name. In total, he scored 114 runs of South Africa’s total while the rest of the line-up contributed only 88.