Five moments that mattered: Day three

AB's knockout uppercut

AB de Villiers almost single-handedly took the second Test away from Australia and it only seemed appropriate that one of the finest Test innings in recent memory would feature something special to reach the milestone.

Sitting on 96 with South Africa having two wickets in hand, de Villiers wasn't keen to bide his time and when Pat Cummins banged one in a little short, the Proteas superstar simply arched his back and caressed a perfect uppercut over the cordon for four.

Remarkably, it was his first Test hundred in more than three years and his 22nd overall.

Shot of the series?

As if there weren't already enough jaw-dropping strokes throughout the 261-minute masterclass, de Villiers took things up a notch with a shot that will take some beating for shot of the series.

It seemed as though Australia had run out of ideas as to how they could dismiss the 34-year-old, instead attempting to get the tail-end batsman on strike.

Steve Smith had eight fielders patrolling the boundary when de Villiers was on strike, while the skipper stood at second slip.

Facing up to Cummins for the 111th over, de Villiers worked the gaps to perfection in collecting back-to-back twos on either side of the wicket, before unleashing an almighty pull shot that cleared the midwicket boundary (check it out in the video above).

De Villiers went early with the back-and-across movement, then lifted his front leg and whipped the 139kph delivery over the fence with complete and utter disdain.

Rapid Rabada fires up. Again.

Whether or not Proteas quick Kagiso Rabada will feature again in this series will be determined at a hearing with ICC match referee Jeff Crowe on Sunday night following the brush of the shoulder with Aussie skipper Smith on day one.

But the young pace ace could find himself in even more hot water with another wicket celebration that may be deemed to have gone over the top.

Rabada was threatening right from his first ball in the second innings as he gave David Warner a torrid time out in the middle with movement through the air and off the pitch on a length that challenged the openers on a regular basis.

He eventually broke through in his fifth over with a delightful piece of fast bowling that seamed in to beat Warner's inside edge and take off stump.

Rabada continued with his follow-through and let out a mighty roar in Warner's direction as the Australian started his slow walk back to the sheds.

Skipper Smith in a spin

It's still a long way off 'bunny' status, but Smith's latest dismissal to the left-arm orthodox spin of Keshav Maharaj will frustrate the world's No.1 Test batter no end.

It makes it three out of four dismissals to left-arm spin in the series so far for Smith, with Maharaj and part-timer Dean Elgar having claimed the prized scalp in Durban.

Smith dismissed any suggestion of a weakness against left-arm tweakers in the lead-up to the Port Elizabeth clash and instead said it was lapses in concentration that had been his downfall in the series opener, no doubt making his edge behind just before the tea break all the more irritating.

The late blow with Kagiso Rabada

Australia dominated a large majority of the evening's play, but a pair of wickets to Rabada to bookend the session ensured the Proteas remained right on top.

Usman Khawaja and Mitch Marsh dug deep to grind out a 97-run stand to take Australia into the lead and give the tourists some hope of posting a total that will trouble the hosts.

But Rabada's star quality shone through right before stumps when the reverse-swinging ball caused all sorts of problems from round the wicket to the left-handed Khawaja and eventually had him trapped on the crease to be out lbw for 75 with just seven minutes remaining in the day's play.

Qantas tour of South Africa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights

First Test Australia won by 118 runs. Scorecard

Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13. Live coverage

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26. Live coverage

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3. Live coverage