Australia’s batters failed miserably with a five-wicket haul from Marco Jansen (5/33) allowing South Africa to enforce the follow-on on day four of the second Test in Gqeberha. Live updates below!
The visitors were bowled out for 99, trailing by 326, after the hosts posted 9/425 declared in their first innings off the back of Temba Bavuma’s 179 – the highest Test score by a South African captain against Australia.
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The follow-on has only been enforced against Australia twice before this century – at the SCG against India in 2019 in a rain-affected draw and in a three-wicket loss at Trent Bridge during the 2005 Ashes.
It is also just the third time in the last decade – after Nagpur against India in 2023 and Hobart against South Africa in 2016 – that the Australians have been bowled out for less than 100.
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‘GUTLESS’: Aussies ‘throw in the towel’ as follow-on disaster has stars ‘playing for their careers’
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As he did when Vernon Philander ran riot at Bellerive Oval a decade ago, Steve Smith top-scored with 28, but battled with a stiff neck that clearly had him in some discomfort.
Smith’s stubborn 88-ball resistance came to an end when Wiaan Mulder knocked him over with a beauty that nipped back and crashed into the top of off stump.
The end came quickly as Australia’s final three wickets fell for just three runs with captain Pat Cummins holing out in the deep to be the last wicket to fall.
“It is almost like they have thrown in the towel,” Philander said on commentary for SEN.
“We know Steven Smith has been struggling with that neck injury but everyone else. It is a pretty gutless batting performance that, so far.”
Jansen sealed his maiden five-wicket haul against Australia, and his fifth in Test cricket, by finding Beau Webster’s (13) outside edge and appearing to give the Tasmanian a send-off.
The South Africans were not only aggressive with the ball, but in the field as former Australian leg spinner Kerry O’Keeffe noted at the lunch break on Kayo Sports.
“The chumminess in Durban is out the door,” he said.
“Jansen’s having a yap to outgoing batters.
“It’s feisty now.”
In the first session, Australia lost three wickets in the first hour and then Jansen drove home the hosts’ advantage in his second spell of the day leading up to lunch.
The left-armer struck twice in the space of three balls to remove Australia’s hero of Durban, Matt Renshaw for 12, and Alex Carey for a second-ball duck.
Both left-handers were undone by Jansen’s extra bounce with Renshaw caught at gully while Carey was caught behind.
The damage could have been worse for Australia as Kagiso Rabada was left with his head in his hands a few overs earlier when an edge failed to carry to Aiden Markram at second slip despite Smith throwing his hands hard at the ball.
Smith then called onto the Australian physiotherapist to check out a neck complaint immediately after that delivery.
An engrossing battle with both Rabada and Jansen followed with Smith getting in all sorts of funky positions to try to counteract the brilliance of the Proteas’ pair of quicks.
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After Nic Maddinson was dismissed for a fourth ball duck late on day three, Australia made a promising start with Travis Head crunching two boundaries from Kagiso Rabada in the opening over of the day.
But nightwatchman Scott Boland (2) fell on the first ball he faced.
The quick, who took five wickets with the ball, feathered Jansen’s first ball of the match through to Ryan Rickelton for his first Test catch with the gloves.
Jansen, whose quick fire 85 swung the momentum South Africa’s way yesterday, was in the thick of the action again four overs later when he trapped Head (14) lbw.
The left-hander was originally given not out on field but after a half-hearted appeal, Jansen convinced Bavuma to send it upstairs.
Replays showed that Head had smashed his pad with his bat and three reds on ball-tracking sent the danger man on his way with Australia reeling at 3/22.
Another South African lower order hero in Simon Harmer made his mark soon after with a stunning one-handed catch, low to his left at third slip to remove Marnus Labuschagne (14) in Anrich Nortje’s first over.
Labuschagne pushed slightly out in front of himself and edged into the cordon to leave the tourists 4/45 before drinks.
Australia have never lost 19 wickets on days four and five to lose a Test match.
South Africa’s push for a historic victory copped a significant blow later in the opening session, however, as Nortje pulled up mid-over with a “suspected right groin injury”.
The speedster headed straight to the dressing room disappointed, having only returned to the Proteas’ Test side for the first time since 2023 in the first Test of this series.
Before Durban, Nortje had not bowled more than five overs in a professional game in three years as injuries confined him to only playing T20s.
But even in Nortje’s absence, Australia’s batters will need to take inspiration from Bavuma and the South African lower order across the next five sessions to hold onto their 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
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Match details
Venue: St George’s Park, Gqeberha
First ball: 6:45pm (AEDT)
Watch it live: On Fox Cricket (channel 501), and streaming on Kayo, from 6pm (AEDT)
Teams
Australia: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabda, Anrich Nortje