AB de Villiers defied Australia with aplomb to be 39 at tea on day four, but he was fast running out of partners as South Africa slumped to 5-132 in their quest for an unlikely draw in the first Test.

Mitchell Johnson continued his remarkable start to the three-Test series, snatching three wickets and drawing blood after Michael Clarke set the hosts a target of 482 early on Saturday at Centurion.

Johnson dismissed openers Alviro Petersen and Graeme Smith in his opening spell, as was the case in the first dig.

The left-armer was rested for the majority of the second session but sent down a brutal three-over spell shortly before tea to rattle the Proteas.

Debutant Alex Doolan’s second great catch of the match at short leg helped Johnson remove JP Duminy (10), who offered an hour of resistance in a stodgy knock.

In Johnson’s next over, a rearing bouncer cracked Ryan McLaren on the side of his helmet and opened a cut behind his ear.

The allrounder took five minutes to regain his balance but faced one more delivery before enjoying the respite of tea.

In a repeat of the first innings, Johnson required two balls to remove Smith.

In the first dig a fearsome bouncer directed at the skull of of the Proteas captain brought about his downfall; this time Doolan’s sharp catch was responsible.

Smith forcibly clipped a full ball from Johnson off his pads, only for it to land straight in the hands of short leg Doolan who was stationed deeper than usual.

Hashim Amla saw off the rest of Johnson’s opening spell, wearing a rearing ball in the grill, but was dismissed by Ryan Harris for 35 in the second session.

Peter Siddle trapped Faf du Plessis (18) lbw with a skidding delivery in the fourth last over of the first session, removing the right-hander that caused Australia so much trouble in the famous draw at Adelaide Oval in 2012.

De Villiers and McLaren (4) will need to do incredibly well if South Africa are to survive four sessions on a wearing pitch where cracks are causing havoc.

Especially in light of the 150km/h pace and dangerous bounce created by Johnson’s slinging action.

Johnson is in the form of his life and has looked even more potent in this match than in the recent Ashes series, where he claimed 37 scalps.

The left-armer’s haul of 7-68 on Friday set a new mark for his best Test figures outside Australia.

He currently has 3-45 in the second dig and two more wickets would make for Johnson’s greatest match figures.