Australia's call to bowl first in the series decider on Tuesday was somewhat saved by stumps, with Mitchell Starc's six-wicket haul having the Proteas all out for 329.
But it will likely remain one of the key talking points of the Test, after the Proteas flew to 0-140 at lunch before the tourists regrouped after the break.
Aiden Markham and Marques Ackerman's 158-run opening stand was the biggest of any first-wicket pairing against Australia after being sent in since 1970.
The manner in which they did it was also dominant, going at more than five runs an over and hitting 23 boundaries in the first session alone.
The situation had brought back memories of Ricky Ponting doing likewise at Edgbaston in 2005 against England, or Nasser Hussain in the 2002-03 Ashes opener.
"We were probably going to look to bat first. So we were quite surprised that they decided to bowl," Ackerman said.
"I thought the wicket was really good.
"There wasn't as much lateral movement as you maybe saw in the first two Tests. It was a really good wicket. We just left a bit of runs out there."
Ackerman believed Australia's bowlers had given he and Markram some loose balls in the first session, potentially searching for wickets with the pitch offering little.
Starc also commented after play that there was less lateral movement or swing on offer than expected, with Pat Cummins initially believing there was moisture in the surface.
Ultimately, Ackerman's dismissal for 95 proved crucial, as he attempted to keep the scoring going and skipped past a Nathan Lyon ball and was stumped.
From 0-158 and 1-203, the Proteas fell to 6-232.
"You live by the sword and you die by the sword," Ackerman said.
"I've learned that throughout my career. But I left a hundred out there, a Test hundred. So not really happy with that."
Ackerman conceded that some of the Proteas' dismissals had been soft, with Markram (78), David Bedingham (50) and Wiaan Mulder (0) all out trying to hook short balls with a field set.
But he also questioned whether umpires should have allowed Starc to bowl with the new ball late in the day, with floodlights on for the last hour.
"We probably left out a little bit out there today," Ackerman said.
"We saw the second new ball swing a lot more than maybe the first one.
"Maybe when the sun was out it didn't do as much. So yeah, it was a bit dark and tricky out there with the second new ball.
"So it's a pity that we didn't come off for bad light I think."
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