The eastern cape wind howling through St George's Park is usually a harbinger of doom, but on a wet and windy Wednesday afternoon it was carrying the scent of a very different type of carnage. South Africa had spent the best part of four days dismantling Australia, finishing with a vintage declaration of 425 for nine and then skittling the visitors for a mere 99 in their first innings. With a healthy 326-run lead, the hosts were poised to wrap up the second Test well before the end of day four.

But, just as the skies across Gqeberha began to clear, there was one man who was prepared to stand his ground and fight for Australia's future. In a stubborn solitary stand of 87, Travis Head had batted with a ferocity that saw his side post a very respectable 156 for four at the close.

Chasing down a deficit of 170 with six wickets remaining, the tourists may have been down and out but, thanks to the attacking instincts of Head, they are set to fight it out on the final day.

The Morning Carnage: Marco Jansen's Masterclass for South Africa

The foundation for South Africa's triumph was initially built across a morning session that spiraled out of control for Australia's top order.

Earlier in the encounter, Temba Bavuma's majestic 179 in partnership with Marco Jansen's 85 and Simon Harmer's 82 had set a huge target for Australia.

When South Africa batted at the Gabba Cricket Ground, Jansen was on fire as he mauled the Aussies' upper order spectacularly. The towering left-arm pacer sent out a barrage of inswinging deliveries that saw off the nightwatchman Scott Boland, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, and the debutant opener Matthew Renshaw.

The first wicket fell when Bavuma, on his way back to the pavilion, took a straightforward two-ball catch to dismiss Renshaw for a duck. The next batsman to fall was Warner as he was leg before by a beautifully pitched delivery from Jansen for 14.

Boland, who made a hash of the first innings, failed to make an impact in the second, as he was trapped lbw by Jansen for a duck in the third over.

At the other end, Kagiso Rabada was flooring the batters with his short and sharp deliveries, clocking in at speeds of 154.5 kph, as he sent Warner back to the dressing room after a well-directed bouncer landed him on the thighs of his trousers.

Nortje then joined the party, removing Marnus Labuschagne for 14, but he injured his groin and had to leave the ground after bowling only 3.3 overs, leaving South Africa with only two bowlers. Despite this setback, Rabada and Wiaan Mulder both took two wickets as Australia were all out for a meager 99 in 42.3 overs. The only positive note for Australia was Steve Smith, who scored 28 runs and became the first Test centurion to score 11000 runs in Tests, but his splendid achievement was overshadowed by Australia's dismal performance.

The Counter-Punch: Head Stands Tall

Australia made a flying start to the second innings when Rabada trapped Nic Maddinson leg before, but a bright display of resilience from Head saw off South Africa's hopes of a win. Shaking off the misery of his first innings, the South Australian pulled his bat through the offside fence nine times and countered the Proteas' attacks with well-timed shots. He batted with a composed and confident head and a watchful defense as he raced away to a half-century and drove in a couple of glorious boundaries.

His patient and steady defense saw off the first hour's play when he was on 56, and he added 39 valuable runs for the third wicket with Labuschagne, who was run out after a brilliant one-handed diving catch by Harmer.

However, off-spinner Harmer saw off the dangerous Labuschagne, caught by Jansen, and sent Webster back to the pavilion for eight, trapped lbw. Rabada, back in action, accounted for Renshaw, but head remained unconvinced and raced to 87 when the rain finally stopped the innings.

The Final Frontier

The pitch at St George's Park is bound to deteriorate further as the game enters the final day, with South Africa needing no more than six wickets to complete a sensational comeback win in Durban and draw the series. With Nortje's injury, the onus will be on the shoulders of Rabada, Jansen, and Harmer to continue to step up their game on the final day.

Australia has a mountain to climb as it looks to turn the situation around. They will need to put on a spectacular show, scoring a mountain of runs to surpass South Africa's 170. Everyone will be watching Travis Head as he aims to make it a fairytale finish to his first Test century and help Australia chase down the elusive victory.