Australia suffered a dramatic batting collapse on the third evening and fourth day of the Test match, leaving South Africa in sight of victory. When Nic Maddinson departed after facing just four balls on the third evening, the rapid slide began. Over 38.3 overs, nine more Australian wickets tumbled in chaotic fashion.
Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada tore through the batting lineup with ferocious spells. They cranked up the speed gun, beating edges with pitched-up deliveries and peppering the batters with short balls. Alex Carey and Beau Webster both played loose shots off the back foot against rising deliveries, handing catches to complete Jansen figures of five for 33. Mitchell Starc followed suit against Rabada, while Marnus Labuschagne got tangled in his footwork and edged an Anrich Nortje delivery to slip.
Captain Pat Cummins holed out to the deep in resignation as the wickets continued to fall. Steve Smith ground out 28 runs, which brought him past 11,000 Test runs as the dozenth player to achieve the feat. Smith struggled visibly at the crease because of a neck problem that restricted his head movement, and Wiaan Mulder eventually bowled him with a nip-backer.
South Africa built a lead of 326 runs with a session and a half remaining in the day. Despite Anrich Nortje leaving the field with a groin strain after bowling just 3.3 overs, captain Temba Bavuma instructed his bowlers to enforce another innings. Maddinson lasted only 10 balls this time before edging Rabada to the cordon.
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne provided brief resistance, moving the total past the team first-innings score for the loss of just one wicket. Labuschagne survived an lbw review that missed leg stump narrowly, but his innings ended at 39 when he attempted a lofted shot against the spin of Simon Harmer and was caught in the deep.
With the score at 100 for two, wickets fell rapidly. With Steve Smith absent due to his neck injury, Matt Renshaw was bowled for 11 by a sharp delivery from Rabada. Harmer then trapped Webster lbw with a straightening off-break, and Scott Boland was sent out to perform nightwatch duties for the second time in the same day.
Australia still trail by 170 runs heading into the final day. The remaining hopes of a rescue mission rest on the injured Smith, wicketkeeper Alex Carey, and Travis Head, who will resume his innings on 87.
