A draw remains possible, but Franklin believes Australia’s ability to stay patient through long periods of South African resistance and then strike late has put them in a strong position heading into Saturday.
“It’s setting up for a great last day in this Test series,” Franklin said.
The visitors had to endure an attritional first two sessions as Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder built a 154-run partnership that appeared to be taking the game away from Australia.
Franklin said the tourists had deliberately accepted that the scoreboard would move during those quieter periods, with the bowlers instead focused on controlling the rate and building pressure.
“Both teams have sort of gone through that tactic of expanding out their fields, trying to control run rate in those sort of docile periods of play,” he said.
“The wicket has been a challenging one for the pace bowlers, so it’s just trying to build up pressure, not let the scoreboard drift out too fast, and then obviously if you create an opportunity and take it, then you might bring the field back in and squeeze for two, three wickets in a row.”
Then chaos ensued. Rickelton was run out for 101 at 335/6 before Australia claimed two more wickets in quick succession, reducing SA to 344/8.
“We’ve seen that through this Test match, where when one falls, often another one falls very quickly after, and obviously that last hour where we got five,” he said.
The late strikes ensured Australia were not chasing a significantly larger total, with South Africa eventually dismissed for 387.
The pitch, meanwhile, has presented a different challenge to the Australian quicks than they initially anticipated.
Franklin admitted they expected more assistance on the opening morning, but adjusted their plans after finding the surface slower and more placid than expected.
“We probably didn’t get it quite right in that first session as a bowling group, and we can admit to that,” he said.
