Ricky Ponting lasted just 17 minutes and seven balls as Australia suffered a drastic collapse and gave up a significant lead to South Africa on day two of the deciding third Test in Perth.
Australia were all out for 163 in the middle session, giving South Africa a 62-run first-innings lead despite their own modest total of 225.
Matt Wade (68 from 102) provided the only rearguard action by scoring his half-century at a run-a-ball before eventually getting bowled attempting a sweep off spinner Robin Petersen (3-44).
Petersen also bowled Mitchell Johnson (7) and had John Hastings (32) spectacularly caught on the rope by namesake Alviro Petersen to justify his selection.
Australia lost four wickets in no time at all on Saturday after resuming at 2-33, with Proteas spearhead Dale Steyn the chief destroyer.
South Africa thought they were in trouble at 6-75 on day one, but Australia found themselves 6-45 just six overs into day two.
Twenty wickets have now fallen in the frantically-paced match before tea on day two.
Faf du Plessis (78no) saved the Proteas innings and Wade attempted similar heroics for Australia, combining with Mike Hussey (12) for a 55-run stand – before Morne Morkel (1-19) had the vital wicket of Mr Cricket not long before lunch.
Keeper Wade blasted three sixes and seven boundaries in a fearless knock from a player under pressure.
But Australia needed more from the top and must fight back hard if they want to put themselves in a position to win the series, steal the No.1 ranking from their opponents and send Ponting out a winner.
Steyn (4-40) turned around a poor series so far by exploding out of the blocks and taking the first of his three day-two wickets in the second over of play.
That brought retiring champion Ponting to the middle and a sold-out WACA crowd to their feet.
But the fairytale was extinguished by Steyn’s partner in crime Vernon Philander (2-55), who trapped him lbw for 4.
Ponting will get just one more chance at signing off from Test cricket with a century in the second innings – but averaging six for the series, all evidence suggests he’s not comfortable facing South Africa’s red-hot attack.
David Warner (13) went for a wild slash through the off-side but nicked Steyn’s first delivery of the day to keeper AB de Villiers.
Ponting came to the crease and got off the mark with a single, but that left Lyon to be a sitting duck for Steyn, who completed his stunning over by finding the nightwatchman’s edge through to du Plessis at gully.
Two generations of Australian captains came together in the middle, but Ponting and Michael Clarke both went quickly.
The over after Ponting fell, Clarke (5) copped the ball of the series from Steyn and he edged behind for his first failure in a long time.
Hussey left Wade completely stranded early on, but Hashim Amla missed an open shy at the stumps, much to the relief of the reeling Australians.
