South Africa wriggled off the hook and even managed to snare an improbable lead on the third day of the second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Australia had begun the day in an overpowering position with South Africa on 198 for seven in reply to the hosts’ first innings of 394.
But young JP Duminy stood tall at one of the most intimidating venues in world cricket, easing his way to an epic 166 and making it look almost ridiculously easy in the process.
Tailenders Paul Harris and Dale Steyn also occupied the crease effectively and shared stands of 67 and 180 with Duminy. South Africa reached 459 all out — with a scarcely believable lead of 65.
Australia were hamstrung by the absence of Brett Lee with a foot injury, forcing captain Ricky Ponting to use part-time bowlers at crucial times and also bowl pacemen Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle into the ground. South Africa were able to tear into a rapidly deflating attack, aided by a lacklustre start to the day by the visitors when they seemed to presume the tail would provide little resistance.
Harris made merry in the first hour to reach 39 before holing out in medium-pacer Michael Hussey’s first over, but Steyn then survived the second new ball with aplomb and South Africa went into lunch on 304 for eight.
Australia began the second session in embarrassing fashion when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin conceded five penalty runs by allowing a ball from spinner Nathan Hauritz to go straight through his legs and hit a helmet behind him. Ponting then dropped Steyn at second slip off Johnson in a telling lapse.
Steyn was on 32 at the time and he went on to score a career-best 76 in a top-class display of bravery and commitment that included nine fours and a six walloped into the notorious Bay 13 section of the crowd off Hauritz.
There were a few more scares for Steyn as Hussey totally missed a skier at deep mid-on, Hauritz dropped a return catch and 12th man Shane Watson missed a run out.
Duminy and Steyn went on to break the ninth-wicket partnership for the MCG, set in 1925, and were in world record range as their stand extended to 180 before Steyn was bowled by a Siddle inswinger.
Duminy, meanwhile, had gone to his maiden Test century, in his third innings, in style by cutting Siddle for four, and the frustration continued for Australia after tea as he put on another 28 runs for the last wicket with Makhaya Ntini.
Duminy eventually fell to his 340th delivery, top-edging a sweep off Hauritz to backward square-leg. Australia reached four without loss by stumps, but their mental dominance over South Africa is most definitely no more.