Follow on looms as Australia collapse

The fatigue of jet lag, 137 overs in the field and living through an emotionally-draining week for the Australians was evident on Saturday as the Proteas powered their way to a commanding position in Johannesburg.

At stumps on day two, Australia, at 6-110, are staring at a colossal first-innings deficit after the Proteas racked up 488 batting first.

Australia suffered twin collapses in the final session – 3-28 and 3-6 – to hand the ascendancy to South Africa, who look hell-bent on not letting it slip.

Patrick Cummins’ five-wicket haul and a rear guard 53 to Usman Khawaja were the only highlights for the tourists on Saturday as Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 95 entertained those in attendance at The Wanderers.

Two late wickets to debutant Chadd Sayers on day one kept Australia within touching distance of the hosts at 6-313, but the quick wickets the tourists needed on the morning of day two never came.

It took Australia 21 overs to secure the breakthrough when Quinton de Kock somehow got tangled up and bunted a Nathan Lyon long-hop to Mitch Marsh at mid-on.

Before the Proteas gloveman departed, he played a supporting role in an injury scare to his counterpart and Australia captain Tim Paine.

Keeping up to the stumps to Sayers, Paine eyed off a medium-pace delivery that whizzed past the outside edge of de Kock's bat and directly on to the tip of his right thumb. Paine wheeled around in discomfort and at the end of the over was assessed by the team physio before bravely playing on.

De Kock’s dismissal was the only wicket to fall in the first session as South Africa entered lunch at 7-400, perhaps unaware that no team who has scored 400 in the first innings of a Test at the Wanderers has gone on to lost.

In the first over after lunch, Bavuma, on 61, was put down by Joe Burns at leg gully from the bowling of Lyon, a tough chance the Queenslander did well to get one hand to but couldn’t snap up the juggling attempt.

Lyon had his third wicket nine overs later when Vernon Philander’s hoick was caught on the mid-wicket rope by Khawaja and Australia had renewed hope of a quick finish.

But a swashbuckling 45-run cameo from Keshav Maharaj sapped the energy out of Australia’s attack as 500 looked likely to be the next team milestone.

Maharaj feasted on his opposite number Lyon, taking him for 14 in the 132nd over and 13 more four overs later to blow out the off-spinner’s figures to 3-182, the second most expensive of his Test career behind the 3-215 he claimed against a rampant India at Chennai in 2013.

Image Id: 9CC5A8234ED54A0193A1474425F77FE9 Image Caption: Bavuma was defiant throughout the first two sessions on day two // cricket.com.au

Lost in the Maharaj blitzkrieg was Bavuma, who almost went under the radar as he moved into the nineties and within one strike of a Test century as Paine called Cummins on for his first over the afternoon session.

Cummins has been Australia’s best bowler on this tour and when he removed Maharaj with his fourth ball of the over, the Wanderers crowd stood standing as the left-arm spinner left the ground and No.11 Morne Morkel - playing in his final Test - entered it.

Perhaps the only person who wasn’t thrilled to see the towering fast bowler take those giant strides out to the middle was the non-striker Bavuma, who was five runs short of three figures.

And Morkel duly fended a Cummins short ball to Peter Handscomb at second slip to be out for a golden duck, to end South Africa’s innings on 488 and leave Bavuma stranded on 95 not out.

Cummins’s 5-83 was just his second first-class five-wicket haul (in just his 24th game) after the 6-79 he took on Test debut at the very same ground in 2011.

Image Id: E2C30A51B16E47B4826CCAF79A598A13 Image Caption: Bavuma acknowledges the crowd after falling just short of a ton // cricket.com.au

Tea was taken at the fall of the 10th Proteas wicket, giving Australia’s new-look opening combination of Matthew Renshaw and Burns an extra 10 minutes to prepare for South Africa’s new-ball threat of Philander and Kagiso Rabada.

But having arrived only days before the fourth Test and spent five sessions in the field, it was always going to be a tough ask for the Queensland duo.

Burns got through seven balls before he edged Rabada to Faf du Plessis at second slip, the Proteas captain diving in front of Hashim Amla at first to dismiss the right-hander.

Renshaw poked and prodded before he edged a wide Philander delivery to fall for eight before, the very next ball, Handscomb dragged on looking to leave the right-armer to be bowled for the day’s second golden duck.

Image Id: F3816218CE154D598F9561A5B71A9072 Image Caption: Handscomb was bowled from his first ball of the series // cricket.com.au

Australia’s replacements for the banned trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft faced a combined 41 balls as talk of a three-day Test circulated the media and broadcast pavilion.

Khawaja looked scratchy early on against South Africa’s high-octane attack, but hit nine fours on his way to his 12th Test half-century.

But unfortunately for the elegant left-hander his stay was cut short by a brilliant catch by de Kock, who crabbed down the leg-side to take Khawaja’s glance off Philander whilst up to the stumps.

The Proteas gloveman missed an easier take shortly after before replays showed he had seemingly been stung by a bee the moment the ball was set to land safely in his mitts.

As the light faded, so did Australia’s batting.

Mitch Marsh dragged on an expansive drive to be castled for four before his older brother Shaun was caught at first slip off the bowling of Maharaj to fall for 16.

Paine and Cummins survived to the close but Australia will need a miracle to win this Test and square the series.

But depending on what you believe, miracles have happened around this time of year before.

Australia XI: Matthew Renshaw, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (c/wk), Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Chadd Sayers

South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel

Qantas tour of South Africa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, AB de Villiers.

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights

First Test Australia won by 118 runs. Scorecard

Second Test South Africa won by six wickets. Scorecard

Third Test South Africa won by 322 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3. Live coverage