South Africa completed one of their finest Test victories as they toppled Australia by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha to set up a series decider in Cape Town. Wiaan Mulder played a pivotal role on the final day, ending Travis Head’s defiant century and removing nightwatcher Scott Boland after he had survived 166 balls, while Kagiso Rabada won his duel with Steven Smith.
At the close of the second day, South Africa were 97 for 5 but went on to produce a stunning turnaround. Firstly they piled up 425 for 9, with Temba Bavuma making a career-best 179, then they skittled Australia for 99 and made them follow-on for just the third time since 1988.
It was harder work getting through the visitors a second time but in the end, with a few dark clouds threatening, they did it with more than 28 overs remaining in the day when Josh Hazlewood slashed Marco Jansen to slip to condemn Australia to their first innings defeat since 2023. It was fitting that Jansen finished the game given his all-round impact on the result.
Mulder’s role was vital for an attack that was missing the injured Anrich Nortje who had limped off with a groin injury the previous day. His wicket-to-wicket wobble seam with the wicketkeeper, Ryan Rickelton stood up to the stumps, followed the recent trend in Test cricket and all three of his dismissals on the final day benefited from batters being hemmed to the crease.
Play had been delayed until 12pm due to morning showers which washed the first session out. Head had reached his century from 151 balls with two boundaries in three deliveries against Jansen, the first a precision flicked between deep square leg and fine leg, and the second a whip past mid-on. The landmark came with muted celebrations, with Head aware of the task that remained.
It was just his second Test century overseas, following the 163 he made in the 2023 World Test Championship final. It was also Head’s first against South Africa, and his fourth as an opener in Tests. However, with South Africa getting edgy for a breakthrough, and the new ball five overs away, Head was cramped for room by Mulder as he came around the wicket and forced a bottom edge onto his stumps. It added to the recent run of Head playing on as he briefly stood in disbelief.
The dismissal brought Smith to the middle at No. 7, the lowest he had batted in Tests since 2014, which also came on this ground, after he had slid down the order due to the neck issues he suffered the previous day. Mulder tested the injury first ball with a bouncer which flew over wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton who was up to the stumps, and in Mulder’s next over, Smith got a thick outside edge which Rickelton couldn’t gather.
Smith never looked settled during his stay, and against the first ball of Rabada’s second over with the new ball, he top-edged a pull into the leg side. Matthew Breetzke caught the ball at midwicket with a heart-stopping juggle as gale-force winds continued to swirl around St George’s Park. Temba Bavuma could not even bring himself to watch as he turned to look at the stands while the ball went in the air.
Boland, who was twice nightwatcher in this Test and also claimed 5 for 81, remained resolute throughout the morning session. He showed an excellent defensive technique as he comfortably went past his longest Test innings in terms of balls faced. He appeared to tweak his left shoulder after playing a strong square drive but was able to unfurl an upper cut over the slips which brought up the fifty stand with Head, and also played some impressive drives.
Boland was the batter on strike during a rarely-seen umpiring moment when Arno Jacobs, who has stood in for the ill Chris Gaffaney during this game, called a no-ball due to Bavuma getting so close at silly point that his hand was on the pitch when Harmer delivered the ball.
His resistance ended early in the final session when Mulder nipped one back between bat and pad with a deliver Boland himself would have been proud of. Mulder then showed his skills off further by moving a delivery the other way to beat Pat Cummins’ outside edge into off stump.
He was replaced by Rabada who struck in his first over back when Mitchell Starc swung across the line. Then, with the floodlights coming on, it was Jansen who added the finishing touch after an Alex Carey boundary had left Hazlewood exposed to the start of the over. South Africa could not have produced a more emphatic response to their defeat in Durban and now the series is set for a grandstand finish at the iconic Newlands.
Scores:
South Africa 425 for 9 decl in 127.1 overs (Temba Bavuma 179, Marco Jansen 85, Simon Harmer 82; Scott Boland 5-81, Mitchell Starc 3-89) beat Australia 99 in 42.3 overs (Steven Smith 28; Kagiso Rabada 2-33, Marco Jansen 5-33, Wiaan Mulder 2-14) and 295 in 107.1 overs (Travis Head 121; Kagiso Rabada 4-77, Wiaan Mulder 3-64, Simon Harmer 2-93) by an innings and 34 runs
[Cricinfo]