If this is the last we see of Kagiso Rabada in this series, at least he would have exited in style.

Bowling up the hill at St George's Park, Rabada's mid-afternoon blast torched through Australia and was the difference between a day South Africa could be fairly pleased with and one that might have reminded them of the first innings in Durban. His spell was one for ages, and will be remembered for single-handedly dragging his side back into an innings that could easily have got away from them.

South Africa had started in pristine fashion on Friday morning and only conceded 23 runs in the first hour, largely thanks to Vernon Philander's opening spell of 7-3-5-0. But they stained the morning session with their performance in the second hour, in which they leaked 48 runs in five overs as Rabada and Lungi Ngidi dished out half-volleys.

Post-lunch, South Africa were more disciplined and rewarded with the wickets of Usman Khawaja and David Warner but it was not until Rabada angled a delivery into a shuffling Steven Smith, who missed the inside edge and was hit on the back pad, that South Africa were truly back in the game.

The dismissal had a greater impact than merely removing Australia's captain because Rabada followed up with animated send-off and was obviously pumped up. In his next over, he got Shaun Marsh, also lbw looking to flick, and three balls later, an ill Mitchell Marsh nicked off against a reverse-swinging delivery. Rabada took three wickets in six balls to signal tea. Immediately after the interval, he removed Pat Cummins with one that moved away and bowled Mitchell Starc - that moved away, too, and clipped off stump.