Starc takes 2 wickets, South Africa 63-3 at lunch

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Mitchell Starc took two wickets late in the first session as Australia's gamble on an all-new pace attack paid off, reducing South Africa to 63-3 at lunch Friday after the tourists won the toss and elected to bat in the crucial third test.

Shane Watson marked his return from injury by removing South Africa skipper Graeme Smith (16) before Starc bowled opener Alviro Peterson (30) and Jacques Kallis (2) in his last two overs before the interval.

Starc, who was 12th man for the drawn tests in Brisbane and Adelaide, had an lbw decision against Petersen overturned on review but didn't really trouble the South African batsmen until he began to swing the ball in his spell just before the interval. He returned 2-27 from eight overs in the first session, which turned Australia's way in the last 15 minutes.

Hashim Amla was not out 11 at lunch and A.B. de Villiers yet to score.

South Africa only needs to draw the Perth test to retain the No. 1 test ranking. Australia needs a win to replace the tourists at No. 1 and has the extra motivation for winning after Ricky Ponting announced this match would be his last in international cricket. The 37-year-old ex-skipper equaled Steve Waugh's record of 168 test caps when he walked on to field at the WACA.

Both teams made changes due to the short turnaround between the second and third tests and the nature of the pace-friendly WACA pitch.

The Australians made four changes, including the recall for Watson and an unprecedented complete change of the pace attack.

Left-armers Starc and Mitchell Johnson were recalled and John Hastings given his test debut after selectors decided to rest Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus due to their heavy workload in the Adelaide test after James Pattinson was injured and unable to bowl.

Starc and Hastings took the new ball but, apart from the lbw appeal against Petersen with the total at 11, it wasn't until Watson and Johnson came into the attack that South Africa's batsmen were really troubled.

Coming back into the test team for the first time in a year, Johnson had Smith hopping and created a chance in his first over when the South Africa captain was hit on the glove as he fended off a short-ball and edged just in front of Mike Hussey at gully.

Watson had Smith out edging to Michael Clarke at slip in his third over with the total at 38 before Peterson and Amla combined to lift the total to 61.

Starc bowled Petersen three overs before the break and then had the prize wicket of Kallis, bowled with a swinging, full-pitch ball, four balls before lunch.

Kallis, who had to pass a fitness test on his injured hamstring, played a pivotal part in South Africa batting through the last 1 1/2 days in Adelaide to save the second test but he only faced seven balls on Friday.

South Africa made three changes from the Adelaide match, with Vernon Philander overcoming a bad back to return at the expense of Rory Kleinveldt, Robin Peterson replaced legspinner Imran Tahir and Dean Elgar will make his debut in place of Jacques Rudolph.