It took just six balls on day five to steer the outcome of the third Test and the series South Africa’s (SA’s) way. The Proteas duly completed the job with a 176-run win over Australia at Newlands.

Australia started the day needing 288 for victory, but were bowled out for 111 just before tea. South Africa regained the top sport on the World Test Rankings.

The great Kagiso Rabada, who misfired during Australia’s first innings thanks to a stomach bug, returned with a vengeance on the last day to crack open the top order.

His lethal morning spell put his team on the path to a 2-1 series win with three early wickets on the last day of a pulsating series on day five at Newlands.

While Rabada cracked the Aussie batting open, off-spinner Simon Harmer completed the job with career-best figures of six for 16. He finished with match figures of 10 for 120.

After coming into the series under-cooked and then losing the first Test by 234 runs in Durban, the Proteas displayed their grit and never-say-die spirit in the second and third Tests in Gqeberha and Cape Town.

There were brilliant performances from varying sources across both teams. Aussie left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc was his team’s talisman with a series-high 15 wickets, while Matt Renshaw scored 369 runs at an average of 61.5.

South African captain Temba Bavuma’s mammoth 179 in Gqeberha was series-defining while his captaincy was consistently excellent.

Harmer was the pick of SA’s bowlers across the series with 14 wickets at 29, but all-rounder Marco Jansen was the deserved player of the series.

He took 13 wickets at 19.76 and contributed 198 runs at 39.6.

Quick start

In the space of three balls into the final day’s play of the series, on an overcast morning, Rabada removed the dangerous Aussie opener Renshaw for a duck, caught behind after a leg glance feather that went through to Ryan Rickleton.

In came the under-pressure Marnus Labuschagne. The stage was set for him to win, or at the very least, save the Test and with it, his career. Marnus edged the first ball he faced for four. The portents were not good under cloudy skies against a shiny new ball and a generational bowler.

Two balls later Rabada produced a ripper. It pitched outside off stump and nipped back sharply. Labuschagne shouldered arms, a choice that might not have happened if he had confidence and form.

The appeal was loud and up went umpire Richard Kettleborough’s finger. Marnus, almost reflexively reviewed the decision, more in hope than expectation. The replay showed it was clipping the off stump. The decision stood via “umpire’s call”. Marnus trudged off the field at Newlands and into an uncertain Test future.

Rabada, whose Test future is assured, continued to ask tough questions, with slight lateral movement and occasional swing.

He peppered Travis Head, beating Australia’s key batter from around the wicket, whizzing past the edge several times.

After an entertaining duel, Rabada arrowed the last delivery of his fourth over on a length, a touch wide of off stump. Head, being the aggressive player he is, could not resist driving on the up. A thick edge flew to Jansen at gully. He snared the catch in front of his eyes. Just like that, barely 30 minutes into the session, Australia were 22 for three. It was Rabada’s 350th Test wicket.

A day that had promised a tense denouement to a fluctuating series had turned into a one-way procession on the back of a great fast bowler answering his captain’s call.

Australia started the day with a 50/50 chance of victory. After Rabada’s spell that equation dipped into low single figures.

Harmer time

After Rabada decimated the Aussie top order, it was left to Harmer to turn the screw.

And as expected, he delivered, even after dropping Cameron Green off his own bowling when the batter was on 10. It was a low drive and would’ve been a fine catch. On another day it might have been costly, but on this day, it was a slight irritation and no more.

Before Harmer really drove a stake into Aussie hearts, the tourists managed to shoot themselves in the foot when first-innings centurion Josh Inglis (4) was run out. He and Green set off for a quick single to a misfield but the speedy Marques Ackerman picked up the ball and threw it to Rickleton to complete the run-out.

There is a reason the old adage of “never run on a misfield” exists, as Inglis found out to his cost.

That reduced Australia to 40 for four, and in a flash it was 42 for six. After struggling, Alex Carey decided the best way to combat Harmer, who was bowling into rough patches outside the left-hander’s off stump, was to reverse sweep.

All Carey managed was to gift a catch to Jansen at short fine leg – gone for two.

Two balls later Harmer removed the left-handed Cooper Connolly, who nicked off where Rickleton took a sharp catch. Australia were in complete freefall.

The arrival of Starc halted the slew of wickets as he stuck around for eight overs without scoring. He and Green – the last recognised Aussie batter – declined several singles to leave Starc on strike against Harmer, and Green handling the quicks from the other end.

It worked for a while but eventually Harmer won the battle, having Starc caught at short leg after he played the ball onto his pad.

Lunch

That brought up lunch. When play resumed Cummins and Green dug in to frustrate the Proteas. They scored just three runs in 15 overs after the break. Laborious doesn’t begin to describe it.

But with plenty of overs remaining, Bavuma rotated ends for Harmer so he could bowl at Green. The plan worked a treat as Green came dancing down the wicket, trying to negate the turn from the rough patch outside his off stump.

But the wily Harmer beat Green with flight and he was clean-bowled for 27.

Cummins and Nathan Lyon stuck around, with the latter edging some fours off a late burst by Rabada. Cummins though, succumbed LBW to Harmer for 11, which took 90 balls to compile.

In his next over Harmer clean bowled No 11 Josh Hazlewood with a ball that might have beaten far more accomplished batters than the Aussie tailender. Lyon was unbeaten on 33.

Series drama

After that first Test defeat, which seems a long time ago now, the Proteas turned the series around in stunning fashion.

Their innings and 31-run second Test victory at St George’s was stunning considering they were 110 for six in their first innings before finishing with 425 and then bowling Australia out twice.

The Proteas’ victory in Gqeberha was built on Bavuma’s brilliant 179. That included dismissing the tourists for 99 in their first innings.

If the second Test was dramatic, the third Test at Newlands was Shakespearean.

It started with the news that Australia’s master batter Steve Smith would not play because of a neck injury. It became more dramatic when Cummins won the toss and elected to field.

The Proteas then piled on 140 without loss at lunch before collapsing to 329 all out.

Australia looked set to put the game out of reach at 330 for four at stumps on day two. But they lost six wickets for 99 runs on day three and led by exactly 100.

By stumps the Proteas were in trouble at 140 for four, effectively 40 for four.

But centuries from Ryan Rickleton (101) and Wiaan Mulder (115) on day four steered the Proteas to 387 all, and a lead of 288.

Day five promised drama and it delivered as Rabada set the tone and tore the heart from the tourists, leaving Harmer to feast on the carcass. DM