Temba Bavuma hit a career-best 179 and Kagiso Rabada took an early wicket as South Africa dominated the third day of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park on Tuesday.

South Africa declared their first innings on 425 for nine.

Australia were three for one at the close after Rabada had Nic Maddinson caught at third slip for a duck with the fourth ball of the Australian innings.

Bavuma shared century partnerships with Marco Jansen (85) and Simon Harmer (82) as the world Test champions posted a total which seemed improbable after they were 97 for five overnight.

It was Bavuma’s third day at the crease after battling through bowler-friendly conditions on the first two rain-shortened days.

Despite his marathon effort, the 36-year-old said he never found batting easy as he made his fifth Test hundred.

“You don’t always feel like you’re in,” said Bavuma. “There’s one (ball) that kind of just stands up or nibbles off a good length.

“Once the ball gets soft, it does become a little bit easier but I never really felt in.”

The South African captain batted for more than nine hours, faced 334 balls and hit 18 fours and a six.

“I find myself a lot in those type of situations, coming in early, trying to manage myself to kind of scramble through to a 50 or 60,” he added.

“But what was nice was my ability just to take it even further and make it count.”

South Africa’s recovery mirrored that of Australia in the first Test when they recovered from 124 for six to make 390 in the first innings and go on to win.

With only two days remaining, Bavuma admitted it may be difficult to force a result but said it was important to keep the series alive ahead of the third Test in Cape Town next week.

“I think we’ve given ourselves a chance.

“If that doesn’t happen, there is also going into Cape Town with whatever confidence we’ll be able to get here, being able to put their bowlers on their feet for a considerable amount of time.”

Jansen counter-attacks

The situation looked dire for South Africa when the sixth wicket fell on 110 early in the day but the tall Jansen changed the tempo of the match as he hammered nine fours and three sixes off 100 deliveries.

Jansen dominated a seventh-wicket partnership of 132 off 186 balls with Bavuma.

The contrast in height between the 1.62m Bavuma and the 2.06m Jansen made it difficult for the bowlers to settle on a length and the Australians were hampered by Josh Hazlewood being unable to bowl until after lunch because he had been off the field with illness on Monday.

Bavuma became more assertive when he was joined by Harmer after Jansen clipped Scott Boland to midwicket in the first over with the second new ball.

Bavuma and Harmer added a South African Test record 182 for the eighth wicket, batting with increasing confidence as the Australian bowlers toiled on what had become a good batting pitch.

Boland finished with five for 81 but was not as effective as he had been on the first two rain-shortened days.

Harmer and Bavuma fell off successive balls, with Bavuma then declaring to leave Australia with a short period to bat before the close.

Maddinson played away from his body to be caught by Harmer off Rabada, who missed the first Test as he recovered from a hamstring injury.

With the light fading it was the only over of pace. Travis Head and nightwatchman Boland survived three overs of spin before the close.