The fall of four wickets for 56 runs took the gloss of Stephen Cook’s second Test hundred, a resolute effort that took 240 balls and contained just eight fours.
He was the last to go, bowled by Mitchell Starc, which left the Australians a target of 127 to get their consolation win in a series they had lost in Hobart.
At the start of the day, the call was for Cook and Quinton de Kock to bat long and hard; but that hope was swiftly dispelled when De Kock went in the fifth over of the day, lbw to Jackson Bird with a score of five.
He was originally given not out, but the Aussies were quick to call for a review and although Snicko indicated a minuscule spike as the ball passed the bat, there could be no cause for complaint.
Ten overs later, it was the turn of Vernon Philander (17) to fall lbw, this time to Starc. He too reviewed, but that was just wishful thinking. There was no need to rfeconsider Rabada’s dismissal as he gloved a leg-side delivery from Josh Hazlewood to Matthew Wade.
There, the similarities between now and then end. Back then, injury to James Pattinson had reduced Australia’s bowling attack; this time, the Australians had Starc on fire, well backed up by Hazlewood.
