South Africa moved to the brink of levelling the three-Test series in Gqeberha after bowling Australia out for 99 and ending the fourth day with the visitors 156 for four in their second innings. Australia still trail by 170 runs after being forced to follow on, leaving South Africa six wickets from an innings victory with one day remaining.
Marco Jansen drove the morning assault, taking five for 33 as Australia lost wickets regularly despite South Africa being without Anrich Nortje for much of the innings because of a suspected right-groin injury. Steve Smith made 28 from 88 balls and was the only Australian batter to reach 15, but he later watched from the sidelines wearing a neck brace after his condition prevented him from batting again.
South Africa had declared on 425 for nine, built around Temba Bavuma’s long innings and a substantial advantage on a pitch offering assistance to seam bowling. Jansen removed Scott Boland, Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey and Beau Webster during the first innings, while Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder also struck. Smith reached 11,000 Test runs before Mulder bowled him, but the milestone came during an innings that left Australia 326 runs behind.
Head, dismissed for 14 earlier in the day, remained unbeaten on 87 after sharing a 92-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne, who made 39 before Simon Harmer dismissed him. Rabada then bowled Renshaw, and Harmer trapped Webster leg before wicket. Boland survived alongside Head until stumps, ending on two not out, while South Africa’s spinners helped maintain pressure as the light faded.