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South Africa lead the Australians at the WACA by 388 runs and have four wickets in hand for the fourth day, after a dominant partnership between Dean Elgar and JP Duminy.
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Scores at stumps
Australia 244
South Africa 242 and 6/390
A brilliant return to form for South Africa on the second day of the test sees Australia desperately needing early wickets when play resumes on day three at Perth. Join The Roar for lives score and a blog of the third day of the test from 1:30pm (AEDT).
After Australia dominated the first day of the Perth test it seemed the best the South Africans could hope for on Day 2 would be to stay in the game. However, heading into the third morning of the test, it may actually be the visitors who hold the advantage, with South Africa leading by 102 runs with just two wickets down.
The main reason for the tourists having this advantage is because of the sort of collapse that has become all too familiar for the Australian side.
David Warner and Shaun Marsh had eaten well into South Africa’s lead, forming a 158 run opening partnership. However, Steyn’s dismissal of Warner signaled the beginning of Australia’s capitulation, with all 10 wickets tumbling for just 86 runs.
Vernon Philander may have been the main instigator with the ball, ending the innings with 4/56, but all the South Africans showed great discipline and resilience, with debutant Keshav Maharaj impressing with three wickets of his own.
Yet South Africa’s fine display with the ball was marred by one massive piece of bad luck, with Dale Steyn fracturing his shoulder mid-spell. Just five wickets short of becoming South Africa’s all-time leading wicket-taker, Steyn will likely be out for some months, and certainly for the remainder of the series.
With strong depth in pace bowlers, South Africa may be able to plug the considerable gap Steyn leaves in the long-term, but for this test they are now a bowler short.
Knowing this, the South Africans would have been forced to reevaluate what they considered a healthy lead. Though whatever they judged this to be, the early dismissals of Stephen Cook and Hashim Amla would have given them serious doubts of reaching it.
However, an unbeaten 59 run partnership from Dean Elgar and JP Duminy ensured South Africa ended the day in a good position at 2/104.
This leaves the game in a precarious state. The match has been punctuated by strong partnerships and significant collapses, suggesting that the pitch takes some time for batters to adapt when they first reach the crease.
It may well be that the team that settles first on day three wins the test. If the Australian bowlers quickly find their line and length, like the South Africans did on day two, the lively WACA pitch will likely reward the for their efforts.
However, the pace of the pitch, and indeed the pace of the outfield, means that a set batsmen can pick up boundaries without taking many risks.
Whichever team starts the stronger, it seems this will be yet another memorable test shared between these two nations. Be sure to join The Roar from 1:30pm (AEDT) to see how the third day unfolds.
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