Kagiso Rabada picked up three wickets in six balls as Australia collapsed from 161-3 to 170-6 at tea on day one of the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh put on 44 for Australia’s fourth wicket, but it was the home side who ended the second session in dominant fashion.
It now remains to be seen whether the South African seamers can do the job against the Australian lower order in the final session.
Usman Khawaja joined David Warner in the middle after the lunch break. But the Australian No 3 batsman was soon back in the pavilion after a thick outside edge to Quinton de Kock off the bowling of Vernon Philander.
Philander had another good lbw shout, this time against Smith. Again, it was not given, and Faf du Plessis opted against a referral. According to Hawkeye, the ball would have missed off-stump.
Keshav Maharaj and Philander bowled with a lot of control and the Australian run rate started to drop.
Lungi Ngidi was soon back in the attack for his second spell and struck immediately when he hit the top of Warner’s off-stump. The opener was gone for a well-played 63.
That brought Shaun Marsh to the middle and meant that Australia had two new batters at the crease.
The breakthrough did not come, however, and Du Plessis opted to introduce Dean Elgar to the attack, hoping for a repeat of the first Test when the part-timer picked up the wicket of Smith.
Marsh brought up his 2,000th Test run when he hit an Elgar full toss through midwicket for four, before Smith survived a very close run-out chance on 24 after some good work at square leg by Rabada.
But Rabada then trapped Smith lbw in his 14th over. The Australia captain requested the decision to be reviewed, and the confirmation was given soon after.
Rabada struck again in his following over, this time hitting the legs of Marsh for a plum lbw decision.
Rabada then sent Mitchell Marsh back to the stands for four after he got an inside edge to Quinton de Kock.
Australia 170-6: David Warner 63, Cameron Bancroft 38, Kagiso Rabada 3-67, Vernon Philander 2-13
Photo: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
