Maharaj's career-best 5-33 leads South Africa to a 98-run win over Australia
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Maharaj made full use of spin-friendly conditions to help dismiss Australia for 198 with more than nine overs to spare after South Africa had earlier posted 296-8 — the highest ODI total at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns.
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh made 88 off 96 balls and Ben Dwarshuis scored 33, but Maharaj had done enough damage in his unchanged spell of 10 overs to give the Proteas a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Travis Head (27) gave Australia an explosive start of 60-0 in the first seven overs when the left-hander smashed fast bowler Nandre Burger for five boundaries in one over.
But in a dramatic turnaround, the home team lost six wickets — five to Maharaj — for the addition of only 29 runs as Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma turned to his slow bowlers inside the batting power play. Australia went from 60-0 to 89-6.
Debutant off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen (1-46) had Head stumped off his seventh ball in ODIs before Maharaj removed five batters for single digits.
Maharaj had Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey trapped leg before wicket while Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie were clean bowled off deliveries that spun enough to beat the bat.
Marsh and Dwarshuis resisted with a 71-run stand but Lungi Ngidi (2-28) and Burger (2-54) wrapped up the tail quickly after Maharaj and Subrayen's impeccable spells.
After losing the toss, three half centuries from the top four batters powered South Africa on a wicket where spinners ruled with part-time offspinner Head claiming 4-57, his second four-wicket haul in ODIs.
Aiden Markram (82), Bavuma (65) and Matthew Breetzke (57) all scored 50-plus before Australia came back strongly in the death overs with Head claiming three of his four wickets in the last 10 overs.
Ryan Rickelton (33) survived a number of close calls, including a dropped catch by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, as he put on a 92-run opening wicket stand with Markram. Rickelton's luck ended when he holed out to Labuschagne at mid off that gave Head his first wicket.
Markram looked set for his first century in the last 20 ODIs, but the right-hander played a loose drive against Dwarshuis and was caught behind in the 24th over.
Bavuma, playing his first international since leading South Africa to victory in the World Test Championship final, struggled to get going but Breetzke found boundaries against Australia's third spinner Labuschagne.
Breetzke raised his run-a-ball half century but just when it looked like South Africa would finish off well he top-edged a slog sweep against Adam Zampa to Hardie at deep square leg.
Head then got the big wickets of power-hitter Tristan Stubbs and debutant Dewald Brevis in the space of three balls. Brevis smashed the spinner for a first-ball six in his ODI career before perishing off the next ball when he couldn't clear Carey at long off.
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