Australia are likely to require another first-innings recovery if they’re to deny South Africa a series-levelling victory in the second Test.
The Proteas dominated from an early start to the late finish on day two at Port Elizabeth, amassing a total of 423 then reducing the visitors to 4-112 in two hours.
JP Duminy suggested patience was the key to the flawless centuries he and AB de Villiers scored on Friday.
It was sorely lacking from Australia, who crashed to 4-81 after spending some 150.5 overs in the field – an exhausting experience they had avoided in both Ashes series.
“We’ve got to be better in those tough situations,” coach Darren Lehmann said of the way Chris Rogers, Alex Doolan, Shaun Marsh and Michael Clarke went cheaply and quickly.
“We’ve got to be better at restricting the wicket column.
“We’d love more first-innings runs … that’s what we need to do to get better as a cricket side.”
It was South Africa’s sloppy fielding and David Warner, the man in the biggest hurry, that offered Lehmann the most hope his side could fight back like they did in four of the five 2013-14 Ashes Tests.
Warner flayed the Proteas’ on-song pace attack beautifully to be 65 not out alongside nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (12) at stumps.
Having been dropped three times en route to a century in the first Test win at Centurion, Warner again chanced his luck to great reward.
He provided an edge that fell just short of de Villiers and another the wicketkeeper fumbled when the aggressive opener was on 43.
Lyon was dropped in the final over of his 37-minute vigil, shortly after being given not out when he edged Dale Steyn straight to de Villiers.
“It could have been worse if they took a couple of chances,” Lehmann said.
“The wicket is still very good and we probably helped with a couple of dismissals.
“We’ve been in this situation too often, so we know what we need to do tomorrow.”
Duminy, responsible for dropping Lyon at gully, admitted it took the shine off his match-high knock of 123 and game-changing 149-run partnership with de Villiers.
“We did let ourselves down a little bit at the end with two dropped catches,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll get a few more tomorrow.”
The Proteas, worried about wasting their final review on Lyon, opted against challenging umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s verdict in the penultimate over of the day.
Given it would have been overturned promptly, Duminy suggested it felt similar to a dropped catch.
“A chance is a chance and you’ve got to take it, no matter which way it comes,” he said.
Left-armer Wayne Parnell’s first Test over in four years was a double-wicket maiden, Doolan and Marsh edging straight to de Villiers.
Lyon finished with figures of 5-130 from 46 overs, grabbing the key scalps of de Villiers and Duminy to be the pick of the seven bowlers Clarke tried – including himself.
AAP rf/gjw
