Australia are fighting to save the second Test in Gqeberha after being bowled out for 99 and made to follow on, with Marco Jansen taking 5-33 on a 13-wicket fourth day at St George’s Park.
At stumps on day four, Australia were 4-156 in their second innings, still 170 runs behind South Africa’s 9-425 declared. Travis Head was 87 not out, with nightwatcher Scott Boland on 2, cricket.com.au reported.
Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Durban by 214 runs, but South Africa are now six wickets away from levelling it.
Jansen leads the rout
Resuming at 1-3, Australia slumped to 6-65 as Jansen tore through the order. The left-armer finished with 5-33 from 11 overs, while Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder took two wickets each and Anrich Nortje one, according to the Cricbuzz scorecard.
Steve Smith top-scored with 28 from 88 balls and was the only Australian to pass 14. The total of 99 was Australia’s lowest first-innings score in a Test since South Africa bowled them out for 85 in Hobart in 2016, cricket.com.au reported, and they were asked to follow on for only the third time since 1988.
Read more: Temba Bavuma Hits 179 as South Africa Seize Control in Gqeberha
Jansen, who made 85 in South Africa’s first innings, became just the second South African since readmission to take a five-wicket haul and score a half-century in the same Test against Australia.
Smith neck concern
Smith was unable to bat in Australia’s second innings because of a neck concern. He needed several visits from medical staff during his first-innings knock and was later seen watching on in a neck brace, according to cricket.com.au.
Before he was bowled by Mulder, Smith became the third Australian to reach 11,000 Test runs, after Allan Border and Ricky Ponting.
Read more: Scott Boland Takes Four as South Africa Slump to 5-97 in Gqeberha
Head holds firm
Following on 326 runs behind, Australia lost Nic Maddinson for 8 when he edged Rabada to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton. Head and Marnus Labuschagne then added 92 for the second wicket before Labuschagne (39) skied Simon Harmer and Jansen ran back to take the catch.
Matt Renshaw (11) was bowled by Rabada and Beau Webster (8) was lbw to Harmer, who finished the day with 2-47 from 18 overs. Boland then walked out as nightwatcher for the second evening in a row and survived to stumps.
South Africa lost fast bowler Nortje to a right groin injury during the day. Day five is on Thursday evening (AEDT), and the third Test starts at Newlands in Cape Town on 27 October.
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