Australia’s ring-in bowling attack stood tall on day one of the third Test, but South Africa’s big guns had the final say as the Proteas rallied hard in their fight to protect their No.1 ranking.
South Africa were bowled out for just 225 on Friday, but without another defiant knock from rookie batsman Faf du Plessis (78no) may not have made it to 100.
After the change of innings late in the piece, Dale Steyn (1-21) and Vernon Philander (1-8) immediately struck back in the 11 remaining overs to leave Australia 2-33 at stumps.
South Africa lead by 192 runs, and if the game’s premier fast bowling attack continues to fire on day two, the match with seemingly everything on the line, is very much alive in Perth.
The WACA crowd thought retiring Ricky Ponting champion was coming to the crease with 25 minutes left in the day, after Ed Cowan (golden duck) and Shane Watson (10) continued the flimsy run of form from Australia’s top three.
But unbeknownst to the crowd, Australia sent nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (7no) to the crease to join David Warner (12no), meaning Ponting was saved from having to start his attempted fairytale innings in difficult conditions.
The late drama threatened to undo some of the brilliant work done by Australia’s underdog bowlers.
Lyon (3-41) was the only survivor from the second Test in Adelaide, leaving pacemen Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, debutant John Hastings and Shane Watson to play their first Tests for the summer in the deciding match.
The decision to leave battle-weary Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus out of Perth was a massive gamble, but Australia’s bowlers stood up to be counted.
In Johnson’s first Test in more than 12 months, he rediscovered some of his best form and he was unlucky not to finish with more than 2-54.
Lyon broke up key partnerships in the tail, while 22-year-old Starc (2-55) recovered from an inconsistent opening spell to bowl Alviro Petersen (30) and Jacques Kallis (2) before lunch.
Watson (1-22) did his job when injected into the attack, getting Graeme Smith (16) cheaply, while Hastings (1-51) overcame a simple dropped chance off his bowling from Ed Cowan, to claim AB de Villiers (4) as his maiden Test scalp from his next over.
Hashim Amla was the man dropped by Cowan, but it mattered little as David Warner ran-out the No.3 batsman with a direct hit during Johnson’s next over.
Du Plessis came to the crease at 5-67 on Friday, and at one point South Africa had lost 5-14 in just eight overs.
At the death, Steyn had Cowan caught at second slip from just the third ball of the innings, before Philander made a spot-on DRS challenge to have Watson lbw.