Australia remove Markram but South Africa surge ahead

Australia’s Pat Cummins plays a shot on day 3 of the fourth and final Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on Sunday.   | Photo Credit: AP

Australia slowed the victory charge of the home side who seek a first home test series win over the tourists in almost 50 years.

Australia picked up the wicket of in-form Aiden Markram but a rampant South Africa remained in control of the fourth test as they moved on to 58 for one in their second innings on Sunday, an overall lead of 325 at tea on the third day.

Dean Elgar (16) and Hashim Amla (four) will seek to drive home that advantage as South Africa look to set their opponents a massive target.

Australia need victory to avoid a first series defeat in South Africa since 1970, but have been rocked by the ball-tampering scandal that saw former captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft sent home and slapped with hefty bans after the third test in Cape Town.

Aside from the wicket of opener Markram, the home side has looked relatively untroubled on the Wanderers pitch that has variable bounce and some sideways movement for the bowlers to exploit.

Following on from his 152 in the first innings, Markram looked in form again with some sumptuous drives before he edged Australian seamer Pat Cummins to Peter Handscomb at second slip to depart for 37.

Markram, 23, playing just his 18th test innings, is the leading run-scorer in the series with 480 at an average of 60, and also went past 1,000 runs in the five day game, the second fastest to reach that mark for South Africa behind Graeme Smith (17 innings).

South Africa had earlier bowled Australia out for 221 in their first innings with a rush of wickets after lunch having been frustrated in the morning session by Tim Paine (62) and Cummins (50), who put on 99 for the seventh wicket.

New Australia captain Paine batted bravely with a stress fracture on his thumb to score a valuable half-century, his fourth in test cricket, but was the last man out as Elgar took a brilliant running catch at mid-off off Kagiso Rabada (3-53).

Cummins was the only wicket to fall in the morning session when he was trapped leg before wicket by spinner Keshav Maharaj (3-92), but South Africa ran through the tail after lunch, to pick up the last three wickets for the addition of 20 runs.

The home side have a fitness worry as seamer Morne Morkel, playing in his final test before retirement from international cricket, was forced from the field with a left side strain, but he did return to the pitch after the interval.