Aiden Markram reached his fifth half-century as the Proteas scored 108-1 by lunch on day one of the third Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers.

The Proteas chose to bat first on a Wanderers pitch that seemed more batting-friendly than Centurion and Newlands. The Pakistan bowling attack, with their lack of extreme pace, could expect a long day at the office in the Johannesburg heat.

The big news at the toss was that Zubayr Hamza would receive his debut, becoming the 100th post-isolation Protea to be capped in Tests.

ALSO READ: Hamza debuts, Proteas bat first

Pakistan, however, found some decent movement in the first session. Aiden Markam and Hashim Amla battled through this difficult period that saw stand-in captain Dean Elgar dismissed for a duck.

Markram got stuck in to reach his fifth half-century and second of the series. He played at a steady pace, scoring nine fours to reach the milestone, while Amla played the supporting role at the other end.

The pair strung together a century partnership, beating their previous best of 89 against Australia at the same venue in March 2018.

Markram and Amla finished on 78 (101 balls) and 22 (62 balls) respectively.

South Africa innings  – Aiden Markram (78), Hashim Amla (22); Mohammad Abbas (1-25)

Photo: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images