GQEBERHA, South Africa — Temba Bavuma scored a career-best 179 runs and Kagiso Rabada claimed an early wicket as South Africa dominated the third day of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park on Tuesday. South Africa declared their first innings at 425 for nine, leaving Australia three for one at stumps, after Rabada dismissed Nic Maddinson for a duck with the fourth ball of the Australian innings.
Bavuma, the South African captain, anchored the innings with crucial century partnerships alongside Marco Jansen, who made 85, and Simon Harmer, who scored 82. The recovery was notable given South Africa’s precarious position at 97 for five overnight. This marked Bavuma’s fifth Test century and came after more than nine hours at the crease, during which he faced 334 deliveries and struck 18 fours and a six.
Despite the substantial innings, the 36-year-old Bavuma said he never felt fully comfortable while batting. “You don’t always feel like you’re in,” Bavuma said, reflecting on challenging conditions that included a bowler-friendly pitch. He added that the softer ball later in the innings made scoring somewhat easier, yet he had to manage his focus carefully throughout.
South Africa’s revival mirrored Australia’s resilience in the first Test of the series, when they recovered from 124 for six to post 390 in their first innings and eventually secure victory. With two days remaining in the second Test, Bavuma acknowledged the difficulty of forcing a result but emphasized the importance of keeping the series competitive ahead of the third Test in Cape Town next week. “I think we’ve given ourselves a chance. If that doesn’t happen, there is also going into Cape Town with whatever confidence we’ll be able to get here,” he said.
The situation initially appeared dire for South Africa when the sixth wicket fell early to leave the team at 110. However, Jansen’s aggressive counterattack, including nine boundaries and three sixes, shifted momentum during a 132-run partnership with Bavuma for the seventh wicket. The marked height difference between Bavuma (1.62m) and Jansen (2.06m) added a strategic challenge for the Australian bowlers, who were further hampered by the absence of Josh Hazlewood before lunch due to illness.
After Jansen was dismissed, Bavuma partnered with Harmer, who helped forge a record eighth-wicket stand of 182 runs for South Africa. Their composed batting on a pitch that improved throughout the day placed Australia under increasing pressure as they began their second innings late on Tuesday.