Australia have taken a stranglehold on the second Test after Peter Siddle came out firing on day three.
However the good news was soured by an injury concern over fast bowling ace James Pattinson, who left the Adelaide Oval with side pain and has been rushed for scans.
South Africa are 7-273 at lunch on Saturday, trailing Australia’s first innings total of 550 by 277 runs with three wickets in hand.
A fired-up Siddle (2-64) claimed the wicket of key man Graeme Smith (122) in dramatic circumstances and then had AB de Villiers (1) lbw in his next over as Australia took 3-7 within four overs.
The wickets fell too quickly for the South African medical staff, who didn’t have enough time to work on Jacques Kallis’ hamstring to send him out to bat at No.7.
Instead he arrived at the crease when the damage had been done at 7-250.
Kallis clutched for his right hamstring as Siddle sent a barrage of short balls at him before lunch.
But the star allrounder soldiered on to be 11 not out, with debutant Faf du Plessis unbeaten on 26.
South Africa added 56 to their overnight score of 2-217.
Spinner Nathan Lyon (1-66) started the rot in the seventh over on day three, when he had Jacques Rudolph caught at short cover by Rob Quiney for 29.
In the following over Siddle ripped in and found some movement in the Adelaide Oval wicket to have Smith caught behind having added just 11 to his overnight score.
Smith was adamant he hadn’t hit the ball, and immediately requested a review.
On Friday Smith gained a reprieve when hot-spot showed he hadn’t nicked a Pattinson (0-41) delivery.
But on Saturday to Siddle, the slightest of marks showed up on Smith’s blade, and although he didn’t like it, he was back to the pavilion.
South Africa also challenged the lbw shout on de Villiers, but perhaps that was out of sheer desperation – as replays confirmed the ball was hitting middle and leg.
Ben Hilfenhaus (2-43) also chipped in to get Dale Steyn (1) pushing meekly to Ricky Ponting at second slip, before knocking Rory Kleinveldt’s (0) leg stump out of the ground.
Things were going swimmingly for Australia, until drama struck in the 83rd over when Pattinson was forced from the field after just the first ball of his second over of the day.
Pattinson was immediately consulted on the boundary by Australian physio Alex Kountouris.
The 22-year-old has been troubled by back, abdominal, foot and buttocks injuries in his fledgling Test career.
A Cricket Australia statement said the severity of the side problem isn’t yet known.
