Michael Clarke notched his 10th Test century as he and the Australian tail mowed their way to 445 all out and the hosts then struck a major blow in the South African reply in the third Test in Sydney on Sunday.
Left-armer Mitchell Johnson seamed a delivery into South African captain Graeme Smith’s left hand in the 13th over, causing a fracture which forced him to retire hurt and will put him out of the game for six weeks.
Smith had made batting look easy up till then as he raced to 30 off 31 balls and, fortunately for South Africa, Hashim Amla (30*) and Jacques Kallis (36*) continued in similar vein to take the score to 125 for one at stumps.
Neil McKenzie was the man out, trapped leg-before-wicket by Peter Siddle for 23.
There was a hum of expectancy as the second day began at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Australia on 267 for six.
Mitchell Johnson showed he may well be Australia’s best all-rounder as he stroked his way to 64, taking his series average to 36.50, in a crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 142 with Clarke.
South Africa were unable to call on strike bowler Dale Steyn for the first hour due to a bruised heel, and even then he was only able to bowl three overs in the morning session.
South Africa had a chance to snare Johnson’s wicket in the fourth over of the day, but Jacques Kallis failed to grasp a diving, two-handed chance at second slip off Morne Morkel. To add insult to injury, Johnson then hooked the bowler powerfully through midwicket for four and stroked the next delivery through the covers for another boundary.
It was all looking exceptionally cosy for Clarke and Johnson as they batted through until after lunch.
Clarke went to 138 off 250 balls in six-and-a-quarter hours at the crease, stroking 17 fours, many of them marvellous drives, but he also showed impressive wristiness and came down the pitch to good effect to left-arm spinner Paul Harris.
In what would have made his dismissal even more frustrating — he patted a full toss back within reach of JP Duminy in the part-time off-spinner’s first over in Test cricket.
Johnson fell in the next over, caught in the slips off Steyn, but even then, Nathan Hauritz and Siddle weren’t shy to take on the bowling as their ninth-wicket stand of 59 in 13 overs had a 30 000-strong crowd yelling their approval.
Harris eventually trapped both of them, Hauritz for a career-best 41 and Siddle for 23, to bring South Africa out to bat for half-an-hour before tea on a pitch that was already starting to get tricky.
Steyn finished with three for 95 in 27 overs, while Harris claimed three for 84 in 29.2.
South Africa go into the third day still 320 runs in arrears and will want Kallis and Amla to produce another inspired partnership.