It was in Gqeberha (then Port Elizabeth) eight years ago where Kagiso Rabada toasted one of his 11 match wickets with a faux-macho shoulder brush of Steve Smith, planting the seeds of indignation and Australia’s ensuing indiscretion at Cape Town.

“What’s the point of over-celebrating? And getting in the face of a batter – you’ve already won the battle,” a dismayed Smith said after Rabada escaped the two-Test ban initially placed on him by the ICC for the physical contact.

Back on South Africa’s blustery Eastern Cape, Australia must now find composure in response to equally sound fast bowling and more taunts from their hosts.

While Smith’s own rematch with Rabada here was hampered by a neck complaint that saw his ability to compete deteriorate quickly, this time Rabada has a more-than-willing sidekick in Marco Jansen.

As the giant left-arm quick decimated Australia’s top-order, he stared down Marnus Labuschagne while mimicking his batting mannerisms, before offering choice words to both Matthew Renshaw and Beau Webster after conquering them during Australia’s capitulation for just 99. Renshaw turned back after his dismissal, clearly miffed by the gobful.

Jansen roughs up Aussies with fifth Test five-for

With questions hovering over Australia’s batting group ahead of their return to Newlands for the series’ climax, they must now find a way to stop things going further sideways before they arrive. A draw that will maintain their 1-0 hold is the best they can hope for.

Confirmation from a visibly dejected coach Andrew McDonald that both Cameron Green and Josh Inglis will be available for the third Test heightens the chance of change, even if Australia manage to save the match on day five.

“Disappointing – I think that’s the word that I’d use to sum it up,” said McDonald of his side being rolled for their lowest first-innings score in a decade on a St George’s Park track that “did not play too many tricks”.

“Some of the shots that we played in the scenario – we knew we had a lot of work to do at the start of the day and I think some of the shots that some of the players played today, they’d take back.

“There was some batter error there, and I think we are better than that, but as it sits right now, I can’t defend that.”

‘Disappointed’ McDonald laments poor shot selection

All three of Nic Maddinson (who, after being out twice to Rabada in this Test, has reached double figures only once in four hits since his unexpected recall), Alex Carey (averaging 16.44 from his past 10 innings) and Webster (81 runs at 13.50 from his past seven digs) are among those feeling the regret.

All three pushed hard at rising balls from Rabada or Jansen in the channel – as did Labuschagne to Anrich Nortje before the latter’s injury. But it was other exit of Australia’s No.3 – out twice in one day along with Webster and Renshaw – that is now in greater focus.

Jansen, who had earlier led a stirring rearguard with the bat, felt the notoriously swirly Algoa Bay breeze on his right cheek as he chased Labuschagne’s brazen attempt to loft Harmer, against whom he had just survived a borderline lbw review.

“The wind definitely helped me there,” Jansen said of Labuschagne’s dismissal that lowered his average to 25.34 from his last 47 century-less innings. “At St George’s, especially in that pocket over there, the wind swirls … as soon as you hit it up in the air, you always stand a chance (of getting out).”

It was Labuschagne’s fourth score in the 30s over his past eight innings. “You saw what we saw,” McDonald said of his exit that exposed a middle-order that had to be rejigged due to Smith’s injury, and ended Australia’s Test-high stand of 92 with Travis Head.

“For me, the option (to hit Harmer over the top) is there if the ball’s in the right area – it is a strength of his. But, in that scenario, as I said, there’s probably some shots that players would take back.

“He did a lot of hard work once again. It feels like I’m on repeat around the amount of 30s that he has got – you would say that’s been a danger period for him. They had a good partnership going and we were starting to claw our way back into the game.

“When you do that hard work, you’ve got to cash in … so he’d be disappointed. We’re disappointed, and we find ourselves in this situation. What I will say is, we’ve still got six wickets in hand, so there is a long way to go in the game.”

Harmer plucks ‘special’ one-hander to send Marnus on his way

Jansen’s catch might end up being considered one of several turning points in this Test, reinforcing just why Dale Steyn has labelled him best cricketer on the planet.

In his spare time, the 26-year-old hunts big game on a reserve he co-owns with his twin brother. Here Australia’s top-order were in his cross-hairs, with five of their top seven picked off in his irresistible day-four burst.

The Australians who have played with Jansen in the IPL say he is softly-spoken. But, much like Rabada, he is a different beast beyond the white line. “I can tell you – it’s going to be heated,” he told cricket.com.au before the series. “There’s definitely going to be some fire being delivered from both ends.”

Jansen smiled when asked about that in relation to Labuschagne. After a long pause that drew laughter from reporters, he admitted his and Smith’s “nuances and how they did things” got under his skin when he first faced them in Australia in 2022-23.

“It’s a fun way of playing a game within a game … but it is funny sometimes when they bat together,” said the allrounder who became the first South African since Steyn to add a five-wicket haul to a half-century in the same Test against Australia.

“With Marnus, he’s a fierce competitor, and you have to be at your best to firstly restrict him from scoring, and then secondly try to get him out. (The by-play) is just us having fun … It’s just boys having fun.”

Australia will need to dig deep on day five to savour any enjoyment of their own in Gqeberha.

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

Second Test: October 18-22, St George’s Park, Gqeberha, 7pm AEDT (10am local)

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa squad for second Test: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster