Johannesburg: Ricky Ponting hit an unbeaten 54 to steer Australia to 142-3 at stumps on Day Four of the second and final Test against South Africa on Sunday, leaving a captivating series in the balance ahead of the final day at Wanderers.
Ponting collected his first score of the series in a priceless 122-run partnership with Usman Khawaja (65), to give Australia real hope of chasing down the 310 they require to win the Test and save a series where they trail 1-0.
Australia need another 168 runs to earn a record-breaking victory that would also keep a 41-year unbeaten record in South Africa.
If the tourists salvage a 1-1 draw on Monday, it would be the highest fourth-innings total to win a Test at the ground. Australia set the current record when they made 294 to win here in 2006.
Khawaja and Ponting showed real grit to lift Australia from 19-2 in their second innings before a late breakthrough from leg-spinner Imran Tahir to remove Khawaja in the day's last over.
Captain Michael Clarke was 1 not out alongside Ponting when the players went off for bad light one ball later.
Teenager Pat Cummins earlier took 6-79 on his debut as South Africa were bowled out for 339 in their second innings.
South Africa's 300-plus lead - built on a second century in successive matches by Hashim Amla - still looked enough to ensure their first home series win over Australia since being readmitted to international cricket.
Playing his first Test and just fourth first-class match, the 18-year-old Cummins dismissed AB de Villiers for 73 early on Sunday to break a 147-run partnership with Amla (105) and take Cummins' innings return to three wickets.
The right-arm paceman then ripped out Vernon Philander (23) and Morne Morkel with the first two balls after lunch for his five-wicket haul, becoming the youngest Australian to take five in a Test innings. He ended South Africa's innings with the wicket of Dale Steyn for six in the innings and a match total of 7-117.
But Steyn's stubborn 41 from No. 9 pushed South Africa to a lead of 309.
Steyn shared a 48-run partnership with Philander in the day's first session and added 25 for the last wicket with Tahir in a hectic five overs after lunch as South Africa went well ahead despite Cummins' outstanding effort.
Veteran former captain Ponting and newcomer Khawaja, playing in his fourth Test, made sure the see-saw series swung one more time, however.
Ponting hit six fours and Khawaja had eight boundaries, saving Australia from a precarious position after Philander rattled the tourists inside three overs of their chase.
Philander bowled Shane Watson second ball of the innings and had Phillip Hughes caught in the slips for 11 in his next over, before the century stand by one of Australia's long-time greats and one if their newest talents gave the tourists hope.
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