Jansen five-for blows Australia away to put South Africa on top

Marco Jansen led a heroic bowling performance as South Africa bowled Australia out for 99 to enforce the follow-on on them for only the third time since 1988 and put themselves in position to level the three-match Test series.

Jansen took his second five-for in three Tests, albeit spread a year apart, and made up for the loss of Anrich Nortje, who left the field with a a suspected groin injury in his fourth over.

Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, back in the Test side after recovering from a hamstring injury and Wiaan Mulder gave South Africa a 326-run first-innings lead before Simon Harmer had his say in the second dig. Australia's 99 was the fourth-lowest all-out total against South Africa, and the first time they were shot out for under 100 in 69 innings since they were bowled for 91 by India in Nagpur in 2023.

Steven Smith was Australia's only batter to get past 14 in the first innings. In the process, he became the 12th batter oevrall, and the third Australian after Ricky Ponting and Allan Border to 11,000 Test runs. Smith did not come out to bat in his usual No.4 position in the second innings after hurting his neck while batting earlier in the day.

Smith is the third player to be affected by either an illness or injury in this Test after Nortje and Josh Hazlewood, who had food poisoning and did not take the field on day two. Umpire Chris Gaffeney has also been unwell and South Africa's Arno Jacobs has stood in his place.

The day was action packed from start to finish, with a total of 13 wickets falling. The first came with Jansen's first ball, on a hard length and nipping away. Nightwatcher Scott Boland chased it, and gave Rickelton a simple catch moving to his right.

At the other end, Rabada cranked up his pace early on and hit a top speed of 154.5kph, but it was Jansen who reaped the rewards. He hit Travis Head's front pad with a ball that nipped back in but after a muted appeal, it took Harmer to convince Temba Bavuma to review. Replays showed the ball was hitting the top of middle stump. Australia were 22 for 3 in the first half hour of play, and South Africa had their tails up.

An intriguing battle between Marnus Labuschagne and Jansen ensued. Labuschagne won the opening exchanges when he drove Jansen through mid-off twice in an over, but eventually lost the battle, though not at Jansen's hands. Nortje, in his first over, drew Labuschagne into a drive and induced an edge but the wicket belonged to Harmer, who took a stunning one-handed catch to his left at gully.

At 45 for 4, South Africa would have been comfortable that the new ball had done its work, and switched Rabada for Mulder after a six-over spell. With minimal swing available, Mulder's focus was to hold his end, and bowl back of a length and stump to stump. Barely five minutes later, the mood dampened severely when Nortje walked off the field mid-over. He bowled 40 overs in the Durban Test after not playing any red-ball cricket for more than three-and-a-half years, and was expected to sit out this match but South Africa could not resist the express pace. Now, it's likely they will have to do without it for the rest of the match.

With Smith and Matt Renshaw bedding in, and half an hour left for lunch, Rabada was brought back and almost delivered. Smith edged him short of Markram at second slip, and needed treatment on his neck immediately afterwards. Smith lived dangerously, and in the next over, flashed at a ball but missed. In scenes reminiscent of the 2018 battle between Rabada and Smith, there were words and smiles but no contact, as was the case eight years ago.

While Rabada was stirring the pot, Jansen took the lid off. Renshaw, Australia's best batter from the first Test, opened the face of the bat to steer Jansen to Harmer at wide third slip. Two balls later, Alex Carey got a thin edge to a ball he tried to steer to deep third, and Ryan Rickelton took his second catch. Australia went to lunch on 69 for 6.

Beau Webster was off the mark in the first over of the second session but given out two overs later as he tried to force Mulder away on the off side. South Africa thought they had him caught behind but Webster reviewed immediately, and successfully so. He lasted into the next over, when Jansen did him with extra bounce, and Aiden Markram, at second slip, pouched a smart catch.

Smith's milestone came with a single off Jansen and he almost immediately required treatment on his neck. Mulder increased Smith's discomfort by jagging the ball back as Rickelton stood up to the stumps. One of those deliveries went for four byes; another cut Smith in half and bowled him. Mitchell Starc nicked off to give Rabada his 200th Test wicket at home and then Mulder ended the innings. Pat Cummins miscued him to deep square leg, 56 minutes into the middle session. That gave South Africa 56 overs on day four and 98 on day five to try and win the game.

The second innings started in similar fashion for Australia when Rabada accounted for Nic Maddinson again. After a first innings duck, Maddinson managed two boundaries but then feathered an edge to Rickelton to continue a tough comeback. Since making his return to the side in Durban last week, Maddinson has scores of 0, 48, 0 and 8.

South Africa had the opportunity to take a second soon after when Travis Head sent Mulder to gully, but Jansen, standing closer than is conventional, could not hold on. Head and Marnus Labuschagne took Australia to tea on 45 for 1.

Itching for more, South Africa reviewed a caught-behind appeal off Mulder in the second over of the evening session but burnt it. Head struck a couple of boundaries off some loose balls and worked his way to a half-century but the struggle was happening on the other end.

Battling for his Test career, Labuschagne was struggling, especially against Harmer. He was given out lbw as he planted the front foot and was pinged on the pad but replays showed the ball was just missing leg. Then, he pulled Jansen in the air to deep square leg and survived but the fun wouldn't last long. He charged Harmer and sent him skyward toward mid-on. Jansen had to judge the take in swirling winds while running backward to end a 92-run stand and Labuschagne's innings on 39. Labuschagne has not scored a hundred in his last 45 Tests and averages 26.04 since December 2023.

Renshaw edged Rabada short of Harmer at second slip but then left a ball that seamed back in and bowled him. Just as South Africa thought the day could not get any better, Harmer had Webster pinned on the pad just below the knee roll. He was walking before Jacobs even raised the finger. The day ended as it began, with Boland at the crease and South Africa in the ascendancy.