SA vs AUS, 2nd Test — Day 3 Stumps: South Africa 425/9 dec, Australia 3/1, Trail by 422 as Temba Bavuma Makes a Career-Best 179

Twenty-four hours earlier, South Africa were 97 for 5 and their captain was the last recognised batter standing. By the close of Day 3 they had 425 on the board, a declaration behind them and an Australian wicket in the bag. Days like this do not come from one big shot or one bad spell. They come from a man who decides, ball after ball, that he is not getting out, and from the people who come in to stand next to him.

Temba Bavuma batted from the first ball of the day until the declaration. He made 179 from 334 balls, the highest score of his Test career, and it turned a match South Africa were in danger of losing into one they now control.

Australia struck first. Wiaan Mulder edged Mitchell Starc to Matt Renshaw on the last ball of the 50th over, and Australia's review confirmed it. South Africa were 110 for 6, and the lead Australia had dreamt about overnight looked very real.

Then came Marco Jansen. He reached fifty in 43 balls, and the seventh-wicket partnership went past 100 in 113 balls, with Jansen scoring 70 of those runs to Bavuma's 29. That is the shape of a good partnership: one batter attacking, the other holding the innings together. At lunch South Africa were 216 for 6, Bavuma on 76 and Jansen on 72. Chris Gaffaney, unwell, did not return after the break, and Arno Jacobs took his place as on-field umpire.

Australia took the second new ball at 80.1 overs and it brought them a wicket four balls later. Jansen, on 85, was caught by Travis Head off Scott Boland, ending a stand of 132. Simon Harmer survived an Australian review in the 84th over, and that turned out to be a big moment. Bavuma reached his hundred off 226 balls, Harmer settled in alongside him, and by tea South Africa were 318 for 7, Bavuma on 125 and Harmer on 30.

There is a particular kind of quiet that settles over a fielding side when a lower-order batter starts playing like a top-order one, and Australia felt it in the final session. Harmer reached a 116-ball fifty, Bavuma went past 150 off 299 balls, and South Africa passed 400 in the 124th over. The eighth-wicket stand was worth 183 when Marnus Labuschagne, of all people, bowled Harmer for 82 with the last ball of the 127th over.

Next ball, Starc found Bavuma's edge and Alex Carey dived low to his left for his 200th Test catch. Bavuma walked off to handshakes, and South Africa declared at 425 for 9.

Australia had four overs to bat, and Kagiso Rabada needed four balls. Nic Maddinson edged him to Harmer for a duck. Boland came out as nightwatcher, and he and Head took Australia to 3 for 1.

Bavuma faced 334 balls and hit 18 fours and a six. He reached 50 off 140 balls, 100 off 226 and 150 off 299, so he got quicker as the day went on and the bowlers tired. He also survived an Australian review in the 95th over, with the umpire's not-out decision standing. What makes this innings special is not just the number. It is when it came. South Africa were 1-0 down, five wickets down for under 100 and under pressure in every direction, and their captain led them out of it.

Scott Boland was Australia's best bowler again. He added Jansen's wicket on Day 3 to his four from Day 2 and finished with 5 for 81 from 29 overs. Starc took three, Breetzke and Mulder among them and Bavuma at the very end. But Pat Cummins went wicketless in 26 overs for 96, and Australia's attack had nothing left once Bavuma and Harmer settled in.

Our preview said Bavuma "has a habit of producing innings when his captaincy is under scrutiny". A career-best 179 from 97 for 5 is about as strong an example of that as we could have hoped for. We also leaned towards Australia holding the advantage in this match. After Day 3, that call no longer looks safe.

Australia need 226 to avoid the follow-on, 223 more than they have, and they have a nightwatcher at one end. Rabada, Jansen and Anrich Nortje will have a ball only four overs old on Day 4. If South Africa take early wickets, they can think about enforcing the follow-on and squaring the series. If Head and the middle order can bat through the morning, Australia can start to think about a draw.