Mike Hussey and Glenn McGrath frustrated South Africa in a 107-run rearguard stand on Tuesday before Brett Lee dismissed Graeme Smith to give Australia an edge in the second cricket Test.
Hussey punished South Africa for another dropped catch, scoring 122 and dominating his partnership with McGrath before he was bowled by Makhaya Ntini 11 minutes after lunch, ending Australia’s innings at 355.
In reply, South Africa was 61 for one at tea on the second day.
Skipper Smith was adjudged lbw to Lee with the total at 36. AB de Villiers was unbeaten on 25 and Herschelle Gibbs was on seven.
Hussey resumed on Tuesday on 23 with Australia at 239-8 and had added only four runs when he was dropped at second slip by Jacques Kallis off Shaun Pollock’s bowling with the total at 248-8.
Ntini bowled Stuart MacGill (4) in the next over, the third of the day, to have Australia reeling at 248-9.
But Hussey, playing in his fifth Test match, took charge and blazed four sixes — including two on consecutive balls from Andre Nel — and 14 boundaries in his third Test 100.
McGrath batted for two hours and was not out 11, holding up his end as he and Hussey surpassed Australia’s previous 10th-wicket record of 82 against South Africa.
The tail-end revival took the sting out of South Africa’s bowling attack after Nel snared 4-11 in 25 balls late on Monday as Australia slumped from 207-3 to 239-8.
Nel was responsible for a crucial miss on the first day when he dropped Ricky Ponting on 17 and the Australian captain went on to make 117 — his 26th Test 100.
Nel finally dismissed Ponting in the 75th over to spark a middle-order collapse.
He had Andrew Symonds (0) caught behind next ball, Adam Gilchrist (2) caught at gully 10 balls later and Shane Warne (9) to make the total 227-7.
Nel returned 4-84, while Ntini had 3-70 and Pollock’s figures were 3-67 from 26 overs.
Before play resumed on Tuesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Australian and South African players stood for a minute of silence in honour of Kerry Packer, who revolutionised the sport with his World Series Cricket in 1977.
The Australians wore black armbands to commemorate Packer, who died at his Sydney home on Monday night. — Sapa-AP