Josh Inglis walked out to bat as a late replacement for Steve Smith and scored 102 off 135 balls, giving Australia a first-innings lead of 100 runs over South Africa in the third Test of the 2026-27 series. South Africa had posted 329 in their first innings, and Australia replied with 429 all out, with Inglis' knock at the centre of that recovery.

He reached his century off 132 balls with a reverse sweep for four against off-spinner Simon Harmer, only to be caught behind off Harmer three balls later for 102. Inglis described the conditions and his mindset in terms of 'old Test match cricket' adding that 'he couldn't score' at certain stages of his innings. He explained his approach to the reverse sweep that brought up the milestone.

"I'd seen point was up and I was like, I've got to take this opportunity. I obviously played it a lot the previous day so I just had to get out of my system and get to three figures as quick as possible," Inglis said after the day's play, as quoted by Cricinfo.

The most significant passage of Australia's innings was a fifth-wicket partnership of 185 runs between Inglis and Alex Carey, who contributed 80 of those runs. Inglis reflected on the importance of that stand, and despite the partnership's scale, was candid about wanting more.

"I realised it was a bloody good wicket, so I was like, it's really important that we get some sort of lead here. Still a bit disappointed we didn't get more this morning. Probably me and Kez [Carey] in that partnership, if we could have got another 50 that would have been really nice," Inglis said.

By the close of day three, South Africa had reached 140 for 4 in their second innings, 40 runs ahead of Australia. The third Test at Newlands is effectively a series decider, with the winner taking the trophy.

What does Inglis' innings mean for his standing in Australian cricket?

This was Inglis' second Test century, with his first having come on debut against Sri Lanka in early 2025. The century at Newlands arrived under the most testing of circumstances: a late call-up in place of the Aussies' most reliable batter, and a pre-existing finger injury requiring protective equipment.

Inglis is now the only Australian batter to have scored multiple centuries across all three formats of international cricket, holding two Test hundreds, two ODI centuries and one T20I century. Inglis also spoke about how the partnership developed and how he managed the bowling changes.

"The partnership was building really nicely and then I just saw an opportunity before that second new ball, where the spin was on, to be able to play a few shots and get some boundaries away. And then the new ball, it felt quite nice last night. It did a little bit but it was obviously harder and the field's up and it felt pretty good. There was no reason to try to push on or press on," he said.

What is the match situation and what happens next?

South Africa ended day three of the third Test at Newlands in a precarious position, having lost four second-innings wickets despite taking the lead. Australia's lead of 100 from the first innings means South Africa face a significant deficit with only six wickets remaining.

The series is level heading into this final Test, making the Newlands match a virtual decider. Gerald Coetzee and Wiaan Mulder were among the South African bowlers who featured during Australia's first innings. The outcome of the remaining days will determine which side takes the series trophy home.