Nervous South African all rounder Faf du Plessis was jeered by the Australian crowd as he tripped his way down the stairs and onto the pitch for his test batting debut.
His 93-run eighth wicket stand with the injured Jacques Kallis got the Proteas past the follow on, pushing the team's first innings total to 388.
And South Africa now have an outside chance of winning the test after hitting back late on the third day, with Australia 111 for five, 273 runs ahead with two days left for a result.
Du Plessis was far from serene, as he attempted to make his way through the Adelaide crowd and on to the ground with his team at 233 for four. "I was very nervous before I went out," he said.
Du Plessis had to wait several minutes, while a review decided the fate of skipper Graeme Smith, who was eventually given out caught behind for 122.
