Warner, Doolan lead Oz to take control of first Test against 'lethargic' Proteas on third day

Australia has taken complete control of the first Test against South Africa at Centurion Park on Friday, boosted by the sixth Test century of explosive opener David Warner and an impressive 89 by debutant Alex Doolan.

At stumps on day three, with Michael Clarke (17) and Shaun Marsh (44) in the middle, Australia was 3-288, with a big lead of 479.

According to News.com.au, Warner, who made 115, was dropped twice in consecutive deliveries, first when he was on 26 and again on 27, and a lethargic fielding gifted him and Doolan boundaries at will to form a massive 205-run partnership, which was later broken by an innocuous Robin Peterson delivery that Warner edged behind to Smith.

The report mentioned that Doolan fell 11 runs short of becoming just the third Australian, after Bill Ponsford and Shaun Marsh, to score a century on debut batting at No.3, but he feathered a JP Duminy delivery behind to AB de Villiers.

Earlier, the report said that pace sensation Mitchell Johnson skittled through South Africa's batting lineup, claiming seven wickets in the innings, including the impressive De Villiers, who stood alone with his 91 runs to the hosts' modest total of 206.