An astonishing late spell by Mitchell Johnson left Australia firmly in control after the second day of the first Test against South Africa in Perth on Thursday.
While much of the talk around the Australian attack had centred on Brett Lee, the left-arm Johnson is fast and one of the most improved bowlers in world cricket over the last year.
South Africa went into the last hour of play handily placed on 234-3, in reply to Australia’s 375, but Johnson then made the day his own with a spectacular spell of 5-5 in five overs.
Bowling at speeds of 140km/h-plus, Johnson removed the previously unfazed AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, who both scored 63, in successive overs as South Africa crashed to 243-8 at stumps.
As well as Johnson bowled to finish the day with 7-42 in 18 overs, most of South Africa’s wickets fell to ill-judged strokes.
Neil McKenzie (2) mis-hit a pull off Johnson, from well outside off stump, when it would have been more prudent to survive until lunch.
But Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla, who laid into the bowlers with five fours in his 47 off 67 balls, then dug in as they added 90 for the second wicket.
But they, too, lost their wickets in successive overs.
Jason Krejza had not been a threat, but he is a big turner of the ball and Amla was bowled through the gate when he tried to work the off-spinner to the leg side.
Smith then dragged a drive off Johnson back into his stumps to be dismissed for 48.
South Africa were wobbling on 110-3, but it did not take Kallis and De Villiers long to get into gear.
They provided the innings with a solid foundation as they added 124 in 38 overs, unfurling many fine strokes along the way.
But Johnson then brought it all crashing down as South Africa ended the day battling to stay afloat.
He picked up the wickets of De Villiers and Kallis with similar deliveries, angling across the batsman and being edged to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, although De Villiers had to play at his delivery while Kallis should have left a wider ball.
JP Duminy, on his Test debut, then flapped at a lifter from Johnson and the ball went up off his shoulder, and possibly glove, to Haddin.
Morne Morkel (1) then fell to a slower ball and Paul Harris (0) managed to flick Johnson straight to leg gully.
Johnson’s spell was a rare period of the ball thoroughly dominating the bat in this Test and the suddenness of it all will have left South Africa thoroughly shell-shocked.
Mark Boucher was left stranded on two not out and he will need to see how many runs he can cobble together with Dale Steyn (1*) and Makhaya Ntini, with South Africa still trailing by 132 runs.
Earlier, Krejza and Peter Siddle had frustrated the South African bowlers for the first 40 minutes of the day.
They added 34 in 10 overs, Krejza scoring 30 not out and Siddle 23, before Ntini had Siddle caught behind.
Ntini finished with 4-72 in 19.5 overs, but the last-wicket stand played its part on a day in which Australia finished in firm control.