Proteas fight back but lose Steyn

South Africa staged a remarkable fightback at the WACA Ground in Perth yesterday in the absence of injured spearhead Dale Steyn, skittling Australia for 244 on day two to leave the first test in the balance.

The hosts were well placed to take control of the match at 158 for none but capitulated to a point where tailender Peter Siddle did well to eke out a first innings lead of two runs.

South Africa were 102- 2 at stumps, with Dean Elgar and JP Duminy unbeaten on 46 and 34 respectively. Stephen Cook was out for 12 and Hashim Amla, one.

On a day of high drama, the hosts suffered a collapse of 6- 36 after Steyn was sent to hospital with a shoulder injury that will see him miss the rest of the three- test series.

Steyn, the 85- test veteran, has taken 417 test wickets, four short of overhauling Shaun Pollock ( 421 in 108) for the South African record.

Last December, the injury- prone Steyn broke his shoulder surfing.

The prospect of being a bowler down for the rest of the match failed to flatten the tourists; instead it fired them up. Debutant spinner Keshav Maharaj removed captain Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc for ducks, and Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada swung the ball at great pace.

Smith was judged lbw by umpire Aleem Dar despite charging almost 1.5 metres outside his crease.

Smith, who failed to hide his disbelief, reviewed the verdict without success. It was hard to tell who was more outraged; the skipper or Shane Warne in the commentary box.

“I don’t know how they appealed for it . . . [ and] I appealed for everything,” Warne said.

It wasn’t the only moment of controversy. Rabada was warned for running on the pitch in his follow through, and both umpires had an animated discussion with Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis about an unknown issue.

Replays confirmed Peter Nevill was wrongly given out edging to Hashim Amla at first slip. Nevill had no choice but to accept the umpire’s error as Smith and Shaun Marsh had already used Australia’s two reviews.

Steyn trudged off the field during his 13th over but kickstarted the carnage with the dismissal of David Warner for 97. Usman Khawaja was clean bowled by a fantastic in- swinger from Rabada and Smith recorded the fourth duck of his test career.

Lunch was called when Shaun Marsh was trapped lbw by Philander. His brother, Mitch, lasted eight balls before being dismissed for a duck in near- identical fashion.

Adam Voges ( 27) and Nevill ( 23) threatened to steady for Australia but couldn’t go on with it, while Philander finished with figures of 4- 56.