A fractured finger, a trip back to Perth and a tap on the shoulder to tell him he was needed to replace Australia's best batter since Bradman. It's been a hectic few weeks for Josh Inglis and it now includes a second Test century which will pose some interesting questions to the selectors.

He got there in style. On 97 he unfurled a powerful reverse sweep against the first ball of a new spell from Simon Harmer. "I'd seen point was up and I was like, I've got to take this opportunity," Inglis said. "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."

However, he couldn't go much further, edging behind against Harmer for 102, ending a stand of 185 with Alex Carey, and Australia did not shut out South Africa. "I realised it was a bloody good wicket, so I was like, it's really important that we get some sort of lead here," he said. "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, who is still wearing protection on the finger he injured during the first ODI against South Africa last month, was on alert that he might be needed in Cape Town as Steven Smith struggled with his bad neck in the build-up. However, confirmation only came a little more than half an hour before the toss after Smith, who had taken a nerve-block injection in a last-ditch bid to play, found he didn't have the required range of movement.

"Probably not ideal preparation," Inglis said. "I was always in my head preparing to play just in case."

On the second evening he had pulled the match back in Australia's favour alongside Carey after they had wobbled on 185 for 4. Inglis said when his innings started it had felt like "old Test match cricket, attritional" and early on that he "couldn't score", but after settling he was proactive against Harmer then had a surge against the second new ball. At one stage he was 19 off 52 balls but closed the second day on 85 from 111.

"There was no reason to try to push on or press on," he said. "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."

A misfield in the second over of the third day by Gerald Coetzee at mid-on helped him into the 90s as he collected his first boundary in the V with an on drive against Wiaan Mulder. All his off-side boundaries were from cover and behind, with the region from backward point to deep third being very productive with six in that area.

The reverse sweep to reach a century was fitting for a player who has always been regarded as an excellent player of spin. It is what helped him earn his debut in Sri Lanka early last year when he struck a century in his first innings.

"I think he's got a lot of different options," Matt Renshaw said the previous night. "He's obviously got both sweeps, he can hit down the ground, he can hit over midwicket. I think that's the positive and it doesn't really give them anywhere to bowl."

Since his debut Inglis has had a handful of opportunities that he hadn't grasped. He previously filled in for Smith in Barbados last year then was given two Ashes Tests batting at No. 7 where he failed to convert two starts, although did produce a game-changing direct hit run out to remove Ben Stokes at the Gabba, a reminder that he can have an impact without the keeping gloves.

While his Test career remains in its infancy, his versatility was highlighted by him becoming the first Australia batter (and the 12th overall) to score two centuries in each format. If he is to become a more regular part of the Test side, how he balances all his roles will need to be a topic of conversation during November when England visit ahead of the four-Test series against New Zealand.