At St George’s Park, South Africa tightened their grip on the ongoing second Test against Australia by the end of day four. Australia, having been bowled out for a mere 99 runs in their first innings, struggled to recover as they reached 156 runs for the loss of four wickets in their follow-on innings. The visitors remain 170 runs behind South Africa’s imposing first innings total.
Australia’s First Innings Collapse
The morning session on day four saw Australia unravel dramatically, collapsing against South Africa’s formidable bowling attack. The home side had declared earlier at 425 for nine, setting a daunting target. Steve Smith stood as the highest scorer for Australia with 28 runs. Among the South African bowlers, towering all-rounder Marco Jansen was the standout, wreaking havoc with figures of five wickets for 33 runs in 11 overs. This was Jansen’s fifth five-wicket haul in Tests and his first against Australia. South African captain Temba Bavuma enforced the follow-on, confident in his team’s dominant position.
Kagiso Rabada Reaches Landmark 200 Test Wickets at Home
One of the highlights on day four was South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada achieving a significant career milestone. By dismissing Mitch Starc during Australia’s first innings, Rabada completed 200 Test wickets on home soil. He reached this mark in just 38 Test matches, maintaining an impressive average under 20. Rabada joined the ranks of South African greats Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, and Shaun Pollock as the fourth bowler to claim 200-plus wickets in Tests in South Africa.
Resilience from Travis Head and Milestones for Smith
Despite the pressure, Australia found some bright spots. Steve Smith not only top-scored but also marked a career milestone by crossing 11,000 Test runs, becoming the third Australian after Ricky Ponting and Allan Border to do so. Meanwhile, Travis Head played a gritty innings in the follow-on, compiling an unbeaten 87 from 138 balls. Head’s valiant effort represents his 21st Test half-century. Nevertheless, Australia faces an uphill battle on day five to avoid the humiliation of an innings defeat.
As the Kangaroos remain significantly behind South Africa’s tally, they will require a remarkable performance to salvage the match. Travis Head’s determination has kept their hopes alive but the task ahead is daunting. South Africa’s bowlers, led by Jansen and Rabada, have dominated so far, building a commanding position at St George’s Park.
