Proteas staring down the barrel on Day 4, but series fight is not over.

South Africa have two days to save the third Test at Newlands, but their route to victory is narrowing. Four wickets are gone, the lead stands at just 40 runs, and Nathan Lyon is already finding the turn that could make the fourth innings a formidable challenge for Australia.

The Proteas closed Thursday on 140 for four after Australia had taken a 100 run first innings lead, reaching 429 thanks largely to Josh Inglis and Alex Carey. Inglis struck 102 from 135 balls, while Carey made 80 in a fifth wicket stand worth 185. Their partnership turned Australia’s overnight position into a significant advantage and left South Africa needing a far more disciplined response with the bat.

Instead, the hosts lost Aiden Markram for one and David Bedingham for 11, both falling to dismissals that handed Australia momentum.

Markram drove Mitchell Starc to mid off, while Bedingham edged Josh Hazlewood’s short delivery to deep square leg. It was the second time in the match that Bedingham had fallen to the short ball.

Critics may state that both batsmen failed to learn from their first innings mistakes, however Harmer spoke about the pressure cooker atmosphere of Test cricket. “I think sometimes it is easy to sit on the balcony or in the stands and pass judgment on some of these innings or how they get out or how they play a shot. But there’s a lot going through your head when you’re waiting to face a bowler, and sometimes you make the incorrect decision at the wrong moment.”

He added “I’m pretty sure that the players that feel that those shots weren’t good enough will be the first people to put their hands up. I think everybody sitting in that dressing room wants to contribute.”

South Africa cannot afford many more gifts. The pitch is beginning to offer greater assistance to spin, but that does not excuse the loose shots that have repeatedly interrupted their progress.

“Simon Harmer reflected on the match at the end of the day stating” “If you look at how the wicket changed from this morning to this evening, there’s been quite a dramatic change. I think Mitchell Starc does a pretty good job of turning up the wicket. I definitely think that spin is probably going to come into it a lot more than it has in the first two and a half days.”

If the Proteas are to build a lead capable of putting Australia under pressure, the first requirement is to bat with greater restraint.

Marques Ackerman offered a reminder of what is possible. After scoring 95 in the first innings, he made 62 from 66 balls, attacking the bowlers and helping South Africa erase the deficit. His innings ended when Starc beat him with a sharp bouncer, but the contribution was valuable. It took a quality delivery to remove him, rather than a lapse in judgement.

Temba Bavuma attempted to provide the stability South Africa needed. The captain scored 35 and became the 11th South African to reach 4,000 Test runs, but his innings ended at a damaging moment.

With the close approaching, he tried to whip a full delivery from Lyon through the leg side. The ball turned sharply between bat and pad and bowled him.

That dismissal left South Africa on 119 for four before Breetzke and Ryan Rickelton helped see out the final overs. Breetzke was unbeaten on 19 from 59 balls, with Rickelton on eight.

Their immediate task is to survive the opening session on Friday and build a partnership that can change the feel of the match. Any total will be tough in the 4th innings of the match and the Proteas will hope that the wicket becomes more unpredictable.

Harmer believes it might do so “I don’t know if the middle of the strip is going to start going up and down for the seamers, but the way that I see it, I think that spin has a massive role to play in the rest of the Test”

South Africa need at least one substantial stand. A century partnership would give them a chance to establish a lead that forces Australia to chase under pressure, particularly if the pitch continues to deteriorate. A series of short contributions is unlikely to be enough.

Harmer would not comment on a score that they would be comfortable to defend and instead spoke about the importance of the first session. “Its clichéd and simplistic, but the most important part of this game for us is the first hour tomorrow morning. We can’t get too caught up in what we want, what would be nice, and what is defendable, because whatever that looks like is not achievable if that first hour doesn’t go well.”

The challenge is not simply to score runs. It is to make Australia work for every wicket. South Africa’s bowlers were more disciplined on the third morning, with Marco Jansen taking three for 60 and Simon Harmer claiming four for 104. They limited the damage after Australia had threatened to build a much larger lead, but the batters now need to match that effort.

Kagiso Rabada also appeared healthier after suffering stomach cramps on day two. His condition and Jansen’s workload will matter if South Africa can force Australia into a fourth innings chase. Yet the most pressing question is whether the batters can give their bowlers enough to defend.

Lyon’s turn is already a warning. He has been able to work the ball out of the rough, and if South Africa can build a sizeable target, Harmer could become equally dangerous in the final innings. The fifth day may offer more assistance to the spinners, but that possibility only matters if the Proteas first put runs on the board.

Australia remain firm favourites from this position. South Africa still have six wickets in hand, including Breetzke at the crease and Jansen yet to bat, but the margin for error is small.

The first hour could determine whether the final two days become a genuine contest or a long pursuit of a match that slipped away through avoidable mistakes.