By Ken Borland
DURBAN, March 7 - Mitchell Johnson was Australia's
inspiration on the second day of the second test against South
Africa on Saturday, said team mate Andrew McDonald.
McDonald picked up three for 25 but it was a hostile bowling
performance by left-arm paceman Johnson that played the biggest
role as South Africa struggled to 138 for seven in reply to
Australia's 352 all out.
"Mitchell came out with his tail up," McDonald told
reporters. "He always has fire in his belly and he came crashing
in.
"After his two wickets in the first over the team were
definitely up and then when he forced a couple of batsmen to
retire hurt it gave us a great deal of momentum."
Captain Graeme Smith and South Africa's all-time leading
run-scorer Jacques Kallis had to go to hospital after being hit
by deliveries from Johnson.
Smith, who retired hurt on two and is unlikely to bat again
in the three-match series, fractured his little finger.
Kallis needed three stitches below his chin before returning
to the crease. But he lasted only two balls before falling to
McDonald for 22.
Ben Hilfenhaus, who took the new ball alongside Johnson,
also removed the dangerous AB de Villiers for three.
"Our opening bowlers stepped up to the plate and put a hole
in them early," said McDonald.
MORE RUNS
"We would have liked to score more runs at the start of the
day and after South Africa had taken six wickets for 23 runs we
really wanted to halt their momentum."
Johnson removed Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla for ducks and
Mark Boucher for one to take three for 37 in 16 overs.
Spinner Paul Harris said the home side, already 1-0 down in
the series, could still save the match.
JP Duminy (73) and Dale Steyn (eight) were the not out
batsmen at the close, the same pair who engineered South
Africa's series-clinching victory in Melbourne in December with
a ninth-wicket stand of 180.
"It's going to be tougher than Melbourne because the pitch
is not as good," said Harris. "We'll have to bat for our lives.
"We're going to have to play the best we have in either the
home or away series to save the game but we enjoy a scrap and
hopefully we can scrap our way through this test."
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)