There were plenty of surprises on the second day at the WACA, where South Africa bowled themselves back into the match by limiting Australia to a two-run first-innings lead. The most remarkable feature of South Africa's effort was that they did so largely without their strike bowler Dale Steyn, who claimed the first wicket of the innings but then left the field with a serious injury to his right shoulder.
Nevertheless, Steyn's dismissal of David Warner sparked a collapse of 10 for 86 from the Australians, as Vernon Philander led a fine bowling effort, aided perfectly by Kagiso Rabada and the debutant spinner Keshav Maharaj. During the morning session Australia had moved on to 0 for 158 before Steyn had Warner caught at slip for 97. Before tea had arrived, the Australians had been skittled for 244.
Australia's batsmen could find no momentum after the opening stand, with the next highest partnership of the innings the 29-run eighth-wicket combination between Peter Nevill and Peter Siddle. Philander was the best of South Africa's bowlers and finished with 4 for 86, but the Australians also struggled against Maharaj, the first spinner ever to debut on the usually pace-friendly WACA, who ended up with 3 for 56.
After Warner fell, Rabada produced a beautiful delivery that curved in from around the wicket and bowled Usman Khawaja for 4, and in the next over Maharaj claimed his first Test victim when he had Smith lbw for a duck. It was quite a remarkable dismissal, for Smith was advancing down the pitch when struck on the pad, and some members of the South Africa side seemed to give only a cursory appeal.
But Aleem Dar decided Smith was indeed lbw, and Smith immediately asked for a review. Replays showed the ball had struck Smith in line and would have gone on to clip the top of leg stump, and Dar's exceedingly bold decision stood. It was the kind of lbw call that would almost certainly not have been given in the pre-DRS era, but emboldened by previous examples and evidence, Dar made the decision and was vindicated.
Australia were 3 for 167, but that became four down when Shaun Marsh fell just before lunch. Coming around the wicket, Philander had moved a delivery back in to the left-hander, who was given lbw by umpire Nigel Llong, and asked for a futile review that only confirmed that he was plumb. Marsh had been steady in making 63, but Australia suddenly were shaky.
Wickets continued to tumble after lunch. Mitchell Marsh's hold on the No.6 position became even shakier when he was lbw to Philander, failing to get his bat even close to the swinging ball, and was out for a duck. Adam Voges, on 27, then spooned a return catch to Rabada to leave Australia at 6 for 202.
Mitchell Starc flicked a catch to midwicket off Maharaj, and it was only a fighting stand from Nevill and Siddle that prevented Australia from suffering a first-innings deficit. Nevill managed 23 before he was taken at slip off Maharaj, although replays suggested he had not made contact with the ball. However, Australia were out of reviews, Smith and Shaun Marsh having used them up earlier in the innings.
Philander finished the innings off by having Josh Hazlewood caught at gully and Nathan Lyon taken at slip, and Siddle remained not out on 18. Having resumed at 0 for 105 in reply to 242, Australia had achieved a lead by just the second-barest of margins. After five sessions of play, the Test was virtually level, except that Steyn's injury will rob South Africa of a bowler in the second innings.
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