Marco Jansen should have 101 reasons to celebrate after he brought up a century of Test wickets at Newlands, but he may only be able to think of two. The question is: which two?
During a gruelling day in the field, he was announced as the ICC's No.1 Test bowler and allrounder, twin accolades he will be proud to carry. During the same gruelling day, he struck twice to remove Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green, and put the contest back on an even keel after a 126-run third-wicket stand had given Australia a solid foundation. Which one of those matters more now... perhaps only Saturday will tell.
On one of the better batting pitches in a country known for being one of the toughest to score runs, Jansen had very little to work with. This is not a surface with steep bounce, and there is no lateral movement. There was no swing on offer either, in late-spring air that lacks the heaviness of summer humidity, and barely any cloud cover. All bowlers would have felt they "need a bit of luck", as South Africa's bowling coach Piet Botha put it on a day like this. Even if you are No.1 in the world.
Jansen had the luxury of being used sparingly, as South Africa fielded an attack with four seamers, a specialist offspinner and a part-time one, and he could get away with spells of four and then two overs by lunch on day two. Jansen opened the bowling and conceded 18 runs in his first spell, then came back for a two-over burst before the break. Nothing gave.
Almost 20 more overs were bowled before he was brought back, as South Africa looked to keep him fresh, and it showed. His third ball was a vicious bouncer that pinged Green on the back as he half-hopped-then-could-not-duck to escape it. In the next over, he nearly had Renshaw out lbw, with a yorker that was a little too leg-side. In the over after that, Jansen's reward came. Renshaw tried to upper-cut a short ball over the slips but as he opened the face of the bat he edged it to Ryan Rickelton. South Africa had to overturn the decision via review, but their instincts were correct and Jansen duly had his wicket century.
Three balls later, Jansen went over the wicket to Green, who played with hard hands and edged to Simon Harmer at second slip. South Africa were back in the contest.
Jansen only got one more over in that spell, either because of the back stiffness he was battling with at tea, or because Temba Bavuma believed he had enough resources to keep Jansen to short, sharp bursts. In the end, we didn't see Jansen again before the second new ball and, by then, it felt a little late.
South Africa's bowling plans belied the personnel at their disposal and the surface was not the only reason they struggled. Playing three Tests in a series is about as foreign a concept to these players and this management as it comes. In the Shukri Conrad era, South Africa have only played two-Test series, so this is a new challenge to all involved, even those who have done it before, like Kagiso Rabada.
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At Gqeberha, South Africa's Rolls Royce, as Conrad called Rabada, had been on cruise control on his return to the longest format after almost a year. His presence lifted the entire side but, here at Newlands, he couldn't get out of third gear as he also battled stomach cramps.
Like Jansen, Rabada didn't have much to work with and, unlike Mitchell Starc on the first day, the clouds didn't even roll in for the final hour so there was no swing with the second new ball. Currently wicket-less and with an economy rate of 4.50, it is shaping up as one of Rabada's few forgettable performances. Only once before has Rabada conceded more runs before taking a wicket in a Test, and that was against Australia in Sydney four years ago.
How Rabada pulls up on the third day could be crucial to South Africa's hopes in the series but, in general, this is a test of endurance for all involved. Jansen, for example, has only once bowled more overs than this in a series. Against India in the 2021-22 summer, he sent down 103.3 overs. So far, in this series, Jansen bowled 67.1 overs before this match and 81.1 with his workload today. That's almost an entire day of Test cricket, bowled by one player. Not just any player, but as of today, the best in the world.
For the record, Jansen is the fifth-fastest to 100 wickets by balls and the third South African on the list. The other two are Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. While that speaks to the quality being produced in the country, it won't help South Africa solve their immediate problem, which is how they are going to make their way back into this match.