Kagiso Rabada took three wickets Sunday, despite some wayward bowling, to finish with 4-76, while Marco Jansen (3-32) took the key wickets of Travis Head and Cameron Green within three balls to end a dangerous looking counterattack by the hosts.
Captain Pat Cummins then struck in his opening over of the second innings to remove his counterpart Dean Elgar (2) and Mitchell Starc took his 300th test wicket in the next over by bowling Rassie van der Dussen to leave the Proteas teetering at 3-2.
At the break, Sarel Erwee was one not out, with Temba Bavuma yet to score and South Africa was 63 runs behind Australia.
Earlier, Green and Head had taken Australia past South Africa’s fist innings of 152 and appeared to be building a prosperous partnership before Marco Jansen took both their wickets in three balls to stem the flow of runs and keep the hosts in check at 182-7.
Jansen first had Green (18) edging through a sharp chance to Maharaj at third slip, who could only parry the ball up for Erwee to complete the catch running around from his first slip position.
Two balls later Jansen got the big-wicket of Head, who fell in the nineties for the second time in three tests this summer, when he was caught behind down the leg side after the merest of touches off his glove.
Head made 92 off 96 balls, with 13 boundaries and a six, in his usual counter-punching style and appeared to be the only batsman to appear comfortable with the tricky Gabba pitch conditions.
Lungi Ngidi (1-35) removed Starc with a sharp caught and bowled chance for 14, before Rabada removed Cummins and Nathan Lyon for ducks to ensure their was no wag in Australia’s tail.
The hosts would have been disappointed to have not built a bigger lead but Cummins ensured that the final 20 minutes of the session were fruitful by trapping Elgar leg before in the second over.
Australia doubled-down on its breakthrough with Starc (1-1) taking his 300th test wicket in trademark style by bowling van der Dussen fora duck through the gate with an inswinging delivery.
Starc is the seventh Australian to achieve the 300-wicket milestone.
On Saturday, Head shared a 117-run partnership with Steve Smith (38) to help guide Australia to 145-5 at stumps and justify Pat Cummins’ gamble to bowl first after winning the toss.
Overhead and ground conditions were perfect for bowling early and the green, grassy pitch at the Gabba was well exploited by both attacks, with 15 falling in the day as Australia bowled out South Africa for 152 and then stumbled early in its reply.
Rabada struck on the first ball of the home team’s innings to remove David Warner for a golden duck.
Jansen then struck with his first ball of the match removing in-form Marnus Labuschagne (11), before Anrich Nortje (2-52) had Usman Khawaja (11) edging to third slip next over.
The hosts lost two wickets in the two overs before stumps, with Smith bowled by Nortje and Rabada having night-watchman Scott Boland caught behind on the last delivery of the day.
