Australia fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc found themselves at the centre of attention after reacting angrily to South African supporters during the third and final Test at Newlands in Cape Town. The two pacers were repeatedly taunted by the home crowd, with spectators bringing up Australia’s infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal, popularly known as Sandpapergate, which took place at the same venue.

The incident involving Hazlewood occurred on Day 4 when the Australian pacer approached the boundary to collect a towel. A video circulating on social media showed him appearing to make an offensive middle-finger gesture towards the spectators, who had continued their chants against the visiting team.

However, Hazlewood soon returned to his fielding position with a smile, seemingly refusing to let the exchange affect his focus. His reaction came after several days of persistent reminders from South African fans about the controversy that damaged Australian cricket’s reputation in 2018.

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Mitchell Starc also lost his patience with the crowd after being subjected to similar taunts. The left-arm fast bowler was seen pointing towards spectators and angrily mouthing words while fielding near the boundary rope. The incident followed earlier exchanges involving Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon, who had also faced Sandpapergate-related chants during the Test.

Starc appeared particularly frustrated by the repeated comments from the stands, responding with animated gestures as the South African supporters continued their chants. The exchanges added another talking point to an already intense series decider.

Newlands faithful vs Aussies 😂 https://t.co/v2UxgaqlSP

— Ongama (@imongamagcwabe) October 30, 2026

Despite the off-field attention, Starc delivered an outstanding performance with the ball. He finished the Test with nine wickets, playing a crucial role in Australia’s bowling effort against South Africa. The pacer claimed 6/72 in the first innings before adding another three wickets for 65 runs in the second.

He dismissed Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman on Day 3, while Josh Hazlewood also contributed by removing David Bedingham for 11 in the second innings. South Africa, however, fought back on Day 4 through impressive centuries from Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder.

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Starc eventually dismissed Marco Jansen for a duck as South Africa were bowled out for 387. The performance also took his Test wicket tally to 460 from 110 matches at an average of 25.97. Against South Africa, he has claimed 62 wickets in 13 Tests at 26.46.

The Australian speedster has also collected 167 wickets in 43 away Tests at an average of 26.29. His overall first-class tally stands at 648 wickets, underlining his consistency across formats and conditions.