MAGICAL MARCO: Jansen takes five wickets to leave Australia on the brink of heavy defeat

For a second consecutive day, the spoils belonged to the Proteas in this pulsating Test match, with Marco Jansen emerging as the hero.

The lanky left-arm seamer bagged five for 33 in 11 overs as Australia crumbled to 99 all out in their first innings in reply to South Africa’s 425 for nine declared.

By the close of play, Australia were 156 for four in their second innings after being asked to follow on for only the fourth time in their history against South Africa. 

They need 170 runs to make South Africa bat again, while the Proteas need six wickets with a ball that is 54 overs old.

With Australia facing a first-innings deficit of 326 runs, Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma opted to enforce the follow-on despite being a bowler short, after Anrich Nortje pulled up with a groin injury midway through his third over of the day, barely an hour into play.

That was a big blow for the South African pace attack, especially coming an over after Nortje had removed the stubborn Marnus Labuschagne (14), brilliantly caught by a diving Simon Harmer in the slips.

Having come into the series after more than three years out of Test cricket due to a string of injuries, it was another miserable setback for Nortje.

Jansen’s masterclass

Jansen took up the cudgels and produced a masterclass in aggressive but controlled left-arm seam bowling that resulted in his third five-fer in Test cricket to set up a likely Proteas victory.

The Aussies will resume on day five with the nuggety Travis Head on 87 and nightwatchman Scott Boland on two.

It was the second time in the same day Boland found himself at the crease – an unusual scenario for a regular No 10 batter – having started the day’s play after coming in as first-innings nightwatchman on day three.

If there was any doubt about whether asking Australia to follow on was the right call, you only had to see the Proteas’ premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s body language to understand that his team were up to the task.

As all the players left the field at the end of Australia’s first innings, the visiting dressing room was trying to ascertain if they were being asked to bat again.

Rabada looked right at the Aussies and gave them a batting motion. When a great fast bowler is frothing to get at you again, you know you’re in for a long afternoon.

Rabada clocked one ball at 154.5km/h in the first innings with the wind at his back. That must get into any batter’s head.

Wickets tumble

With 1½ days lost to rain, Australia resumed their first innings on the fourth morning at three for one with hopes of at least securing a draw from the match.

Things started well enough with eight runs via two fours by Head from Rabada’s opening over on a sunny fourth morning as he aligned his radar.

But with the first ball of the next over, bowled by Jansen, the first of 13 wickets on the day fell.

Boland edged a rising delivery to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton and the Proteas were on their way. Little did he know he’d be back out there some seven hours later to reprise the role.

With Boland gone, Jansen removed Head with a beauty that moved off the seam and struck the left-hander on the pad. Although the Proteas’ appeal was subdued, and the umpire said not out, Bavuma asked for a review. It was plum. The skipper’s fine Test continued.

Labuschagne fell to Nortje soon after, leaving the great Steve Smith and first-Test hero Matt Renshaw to try to blunt the Proteas attack.

For more than an hour they managed without much fuss.

But Jansen turned the match on its head in the 30th over when he had Renshaw caught by Harmer at slip from a nasty rising delivery with his fourth ball of the over. It was a sensational catch, with Harmer flinging himself low and to his left.

Two balls later Alex Carey nicked off without scoring, and Australia were in trouble at 65/6, with only Smith from the top order remaining.

All-rounder Beau Webster (13) managed to stick around for 36 minutes but eventually was undone by another Jansen peach and a sharp catch by Aiden Markram in the slips.

Smith, meanwhile, was struggling with a neck injury, which curbed his movement. It resulted in his already awkward batting style becoming even more bizarre, as he played from an almost chest-on position due to the discomfort in his neck.

It couldn’t last, and a clearly distracted Smith was clean bowled by Wiaan Mulder for 28, the high score of the innings. But in the process, Smith went past 11,000 Test runs, to become only the third Aussie after Allan Border and Ricky Ponting to reach the milestone.

Rabada and Mulder mopped up the tail, removing Mitchell Starc (1) and Pat Cummins (7) to end the innings.

The follow-on

Of the previous 30 times Australia have been asked to follow on in Test cricket, they have never won. They have salvaged 11 draws, though.

Another draw looks unlikely even though Head is still at the crease and Smith might be in better shape to bat on day five if needed.

Harmer was the main problem for the Aussies in their second innings, removing Labuschagne for 39, thanks to a rash attempt by the batter to hit the ball out of the park. He skied it to deep long-on, where Jansen took a good running catch over his shoulder.

Considering the strong wind that blew for much of the day, it was a trickier catch than it looked.

It was a strange shot choice by Labuschagne soon after he had successfully reviewed after being given out leg before. Instead of capitalising on his good fortune, he threw it away.

Harmer then removed Webster for eight after Rabada had earlier taken the wicket of opener Nic Maddinson (8) in the third over.

The Proteas, needing six wickets, still have a lot of work to do. But they are in the driving seat to level the series. DM