Australia are on track for their greatest achievement under the captaincy of Michael Clarke, with spluttering South Africa 6-200 at tea on day three of the Test series decider.
Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris bowled magnificently in Cape Town on Monday as the world’s No.1 Test side crumbled in the wake of Michael Clarke’s declaration before the start of play.
Clarke ended his masterful knock on 161 not out and Australia’s first innings at 7-494, a total that will tempt him to enforce the follow-on if the hosts do not add 95 runs before the end of their first innings.
Faf du Plessis (42 not out) and Vernon Philander (18 not out) have offered stubborn resistance in an unbeaten 54-run partnership that has lasted 82 minutes.
But Australia retains the same upper hand they’ve had in the match since David Warner’s dashing century on day one.
Harris (3-44 from 17 overs) returned to form with devastating effect, swinging the ball well to collect the scalps of second-Test centurions Hashim Amla (38) and JP Duminy (four).
The 34-year-old, who will undergo knee surgery after this Test, also removed captain Graeme Smith for five to start the rot.
AB de Villiers, top of the ICC Test batting rankings and in tremendous form, showed his human side when he failed to move his feet and was out edging to Johnson shortly after lunch for 14.
Earlier, the left-armer landed a blow to Alviro Petersen’s arm and the next over stopped his fluent knock on 53.
Brad Haddin pocketed four catches, moving to ninth on the all-time wicketkeeping record for most Test dismissals.
None were more spectacular than that which removed Dean Elgar for 11, with the 36-year-old flinging himself to the right and reeling in a a fantastic one-handed catch.
Haddin was also involved in two of the three lives given to du Plessis.
When du Plessis was on 35, he dived in similar fashion to which ended Elgar’s innings but only got fingertips to the ball.
The right-hander, who raised the opposition’s ire in the second session when he picked up the ball to deliver it back to Johnson and also ducked off for a lengthy toilet break, was given two reprieves on 30 in the 52nd over.
Haddin missed a stumping off the bowling of Nathan Lyon, while short leg Alex Doolan was unable to hold onto an edge.
If defeated in Cape Town, the Proteas will suffer their first Test series loss since March, 2009 – also against Australia at home.
