SA vs AUS 3rd Test Day 1 live cricket score and updates from Cape Town

South Africa (SA) vs Australia (AUS) live score, 3rd Test Day 1: Australia have won the toss and opted to bowl, but they have been dealt a major blow as Steve Smith sits out with an injury. Four changes for Australia as Nathan Lyon comes back and Cooper Connolly gets a game in Cape Town. Follow live score and updates here.

South Africa vs Australia live score, 3rd Test Day 1 (AP Photo)

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Day 1 of the third Test between Australia and South Africa from Newlands, Cape Town.

We are moments away from the start of the final Test, but before that, players from both sides make their way out to the middle and line up for their respective national anthems. It will be Australia's first, followed by that of the home nation, South Africa.

Time to hear from the other camp -Travis Head says playing at Newlands is right up there among his favourite Test venues, placing it just behind Adelaide. He enjoys the setting and feels there are few better places to play a Test match.Reflecting on his knock in the previous Test, Head says he is more focused on his process than individual performances. After the first Test, he worked on a few things and tried to calm himself down, having been eager to make an impact. He was pleased with the way he approached the innings and says the result mattered more to him than his own performance.Ahead of this Test, Head stresses the responsibility each player has to value their wicket and contribute consistently to winning matches. He admits he has sometimes been too eager, but says the key is to play what is in front of him and enjoy the game. He felt he found that balance in the previous Test and wants to carry the same approach into this one.

Pre-match thoughts -South Africa's Kagiso Rabada says the short turnaround between the last Test and this one has been manageable, with the adrenaline helping the players recover quickly. He adds that the squad has pulled up well ahead of the Test.Reflecting on South Africa dismissing Australia for 99, Rabada says they focused on doing the basics well and finding a way to get the desired result. While they can plan for different scenarios, he says the team adapted well when circumstances forced them to change their approach.On his performances against Australia, Rabada says he gives his best against every opposition and has great respect for them. He enjoys facing teams that challenge them, adding that Australia play in a similar way to South Africa and are not afraid to take the game to their opponents.Looking ahead, Rabada expects another competitive Test after the first two matches went into the fifth day. He feels the Cape Town surface looks a little dry and could offer opportunities for the players to cash in, but says he is focused on taking the game session by session rather than looking too far ahead.

PITCH REPORT -Khaya Zondo feels the surface could offer something for the spinners as the game progresses, saying she would pick a spinner having played at the venue a month ago. She notes that the pitch initially had around six millimetres of grass, which could have allowed the ball to grip and move, but after further cutting and rolling, it now looks much barer.Graeme Smith highlights the groundsman's extensive work on the surface over the past month, with Cape Town's unusually dry winter providing plenty of sunshine to help harden the pitch. He expects the surface to offer good carry early on.Mark Nicholas feels batters will need to be patient against the new ball, particularly given South Africa's traditionally challenging conditions up front. However, he expects the middle order to be able to put bat to ball more freely as the surface dries, with scoring likely to become easier as the game progresses.All three are positive about the surface overall, with Smith describing it as terrific and expecting it to hold together well, while agreeing with Zondo that spin could come into play.

The captain of South Africa -Temba Bavuma says they are comfortable batting first, with the wicket looking good despite the challenge expected from the new ball. He feels it should become good for batting once they get through that initial period.On Gerald Coetzee returning to the side in place of Anrich Nortje, Bavuma says the pacer brings extra pace and maintains that dimension in their bowling attack. While Coetzee has not played much red-ball cricket recently, Bavuma says he is looking forward to making an impact.With South Africa looking to win the series, Bavuma says the team has tried its best despite the pre-series talk around two of the best sides facing each other. He stresses the importance of maintaining their internal focus and doing their best.Bavuma also welcomes the strong crowd, saying it is enjoyable to see the first couple of days sold out. He hopes they can put on a good display of cricket for the spectators.

The skipper of Australia -Pat Cummins says there is a little moisture on the surface and confirms four changes, with Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Nathan Lyon and Josh Inglis returning to the side. Beau Webster, Nic Maddinson, Scott Boland and Steve Smith make way.On Smith, Cummins says the batter underwent another test in the morning but was not happy with the result, forcing them to look elsewhere. He adds that the incoming players have been preparing well over the past week and are eager to get going.Cummins admits dropping Boland was a difficult decision, comparing it to the call to leave out Lyon last week, but says it is a good selection headache to have. Looking ahead, he feels they have a clearer understanding of the opposition late in the series, with match-ups likely to play an important role.He says they do not need to make any major changes to their approach, with the focus instead on getting the small moments right. With plenty of Test experience throughout the squad, Cummins believes those finer details could make the difference.

South Africa (Playing XI) - Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (C), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Gerald Coetzee (In place of Anrich Nortje), Kagiso Rabada.

Australia (Playing XI) - Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green (In place of Beau Webster), Josh Inglis (In place of Steve Smith), Alex Carey (WK), Cooper Connolly (In place of Nic Maddinson), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon (In place of Scott Boland), Josh Hazlewood.

TOSS -It's time for the final coin-flip in the series. Both captains are out in the middle. The coin lands in favour of Pat Cummins.Australia have elected to BOWL first.