Second Test, Gqeberha (day four of five)
South Africa 425-9 dec: Bavuma 179, Jansen 85; Boland 5-81
Australia 99 & 156-4: Head 87*; Rabada 2-30
Australia trail by 170 runs
Not since the Nottingham Ashes Test in 2005, Shane Warne's spin and watching Ashley Giles' leg glance from behind a cushion, had Australia been asked to follow-on in an away Test.
It had only happened to them on one other occasion anywhere in the world in 38 years.
But by being bowled out for 99 by South Africa in their first innings of the second Test, Australia matched those lows and handed their hosts an unlikely route to winning this Test and leveling the series.
Travis Head remains on 87 not out, but this was a calamitous day for the tourists as they conceded their biggest first-innings lead since 1984, before failing for the second time in the same day's play.
At 156-4 in their second innings they are still 170 runs behind and the Proteas now look likely winners with a day to go.
"There are a number of players playing for their careers in this innings," said former Australia opener Simon Katich, Australia's highest scorer from that Trent Bridge Test 21 years ago, on SEN Radio.
For some, it might even be too late...
If Katich's words seem strong for a side 1-0 up in the series, this South African subsidence was the latest example of an Australian batting line-up only consistent for its inconsistency.
Bowled out for 132 in the first Test of the Ashes last winter, they piled up 511 in Brisbane in the next.
They scored 567 at the end of the Ashes, but were bundled out for 198 by Bangladesh in their next Test en route to a shock defeat.
Even the highs of Matt Renshaw's 190 in the first-Test win in Durban were countered by the fact no other Australian made 50.
And after another failure, Marnus Labuschagne appears the most at risk. He will not get another chance to bat for his place before Cape Town hosts the third Test from 27 October.
After edging a drive to third slip for 14 off Anrich Nortje in the morning, he gave it away by hitting spinner Simon Harmer to long-on after tea for 39 - his third dismissal in the thirties in the series.
It was made worse by the fact he had only survived an lbw decision on review just three balls earlier.
It is now 47 innings since the 32-year-old, once the leading batter in the world, has made a Test century.
"Only he knows what was going through his mind when he tried to take Harmer down the ground, against the breeze, when Australia are trying to play for a draw," added Katich.
"How will the Australian selectors view that dismissal?
"He's been given plenty of rope over the past few years, when plenty of others haven't, but he has."
Opener Nic Maddinson is another who must simply await his fate. He was not involved in the Wednesday-morning collapse, but only because he had already edged Kagiso Rabada to slip the night before.
Opening the batting against Rabada and Marco Jansen would be feverishly difficult for a regular opener, never mind a batter more used to the middle order.
It is because of that very fact Maddinson has chased balls outside off stump in both innings, leaving the left-hander with two ducks to go with scores of eight and 48 since his surprise recall aged 34.
As he watched on, Sam Konstas, once seen as Australia's next opener, made 151 not out for New South Wales back home.
Credit must also go to left-armer Jansen, who was superb in taking 5-33 in Australia's first innings.
He was in full flow when dismissing Renshaw, Alex Carey and Beau Webster to rip out the middle order - all three were caught between wicketkeeper and gully.
Renshaw and wicketkeeper Carey have credit in the bank, but Webster, who became the day's 13th wicket when he was pinned lbw by Harmer in the final 20 minutes, will be another looking over his shoulder.
An admirable cricketer, he averages 34.13 with the bat and 28.75 with the ball in his 11 completed Tests. But he has also now gone seven innings without a 50 since the Ashes and yet to reach three figures.