South Africa's chances of saving the third and final match in Newlands are in an extremely precarious position. Australia has made significant progress, reducing Proteas' deficit to 140/4. Despite the South African team maintaining a lead of only 40 runs, with six batsmen and two remaining days, the decisive moment could have been Nathan Lyon's delivery in the penultimate over of the third day.
Lyon bowled a full toss over the mid-stump of Temba Bavuma, and the Proteas captain unexpectedly tried to fend it off towards the left side. However, the ball caught the surface and passed through a significant gap between the bat and pad, which brought joy to the Australian team.
Bavuma's dismissal (35) continued a worrying trend among South African players who lose batsmen when great persistence and patience were required. Earlier, such players included Aiden Markram (1) and David Bellingham (11). Bellingham, in particular, should feel strong disappointment about his shot selection.
David Bellingham, who became the third player in the Proteas lineup, was dismissed after hitting a short ball for the second time in the match. This is not the first instance where Bellingham looked vulnerable against a ball pitched into the middle of the pitch. Two seasons ago, the right-hander from the Western Province faced a series of short balls from Sri Lankan bowler Asitha Fernando, and former fast bowler Neil Wagner also exposed his weakness against the short ball.
While Bellingham struggled with short balls, Markram's tendency to play lofted shots is becoming increasingly frustrating. After Travis Head missed an easy opportunity on the short cover in the first innings, no second chance followed after Head corrected himself on the second attempt. In the context of the match, this was a particularly soft dismissal as Markram chose the only Australian fielder positioned in front of the bat.
The South African bowling attack will feel particularly aggrieved, considering the efforts they put in on the morning of the third day to limit Australia's initial advantage to exactly 100 runs. Marco Jansen (3/60) and Simon Harmer (4/104) played a key role in minimizing the damage, preventing Australia from gaining an advantage that could have taken both the match and the series out of South Africa's reach. Their perseverance allowed Proteas to remain within striking distance on a surface that began to show increasing assistance to bowlers.
The visitors concluded their first innings at 429 shortly after lunch, after Josh Inglis reached his second hundred in Tests, and Alex Carey contributed 80 runs. With this vital support, South Africa's counter-attack should have been measured and confident, and debutant Marcus Ackermann did everything possible to ensure this, despite carelessness at the other end.
Ackermann (62) once again demonstrated refreshing fluency of play and was particularly impressive against the constant barrage of short balls from Australia. The left-hander evaded, maneuvered, and hit powerfully, effectively rotating his wrists to keep the ball on the ground. The combination of attack and control helped Ackermann achieve his second Test half-century.
However, just when it seemed his partnership with Bavuma would completely compensate for the deficit, Mitchell Starc tightened up again and released a thunderous delivery aimed directly at Ackermann's helmet. Despite all his efforts to avoid the well-directed short ball, Ackermann could not move far enough away and managed only to deflect the ball towards the Australian slip cordon. Some confusion arose afterward as Ackermann belatedly requested a review after the 15-second timer expired. However, it made no difference. Television replays showed that the ball touched the face of the bat before hitting the grille of his helmet and flying towards Cameron Green.
The task of recovering the Proteas innings on the morning of the fourth day and providing the bowlers something to defend now rests with Matthew Britzke (19 not out) and Ryan Rickelton (8 not out).
