AUSTRALIA TOUR TO SA
Zaahier Adams|Updated
The Proteas have fought back in sensational fashion against Australia at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, to level the series at 1-1 heading into the final Test in Cape Town next week.
Temba Bavuma's side crushed Australia by an innings and 31 runs.
After suffering a crushing 214-run defeat in Durban, South Africa needed a response that went beyond mere improvement. They needed character, resilience, and match-winning performances under pressure. Temba Bavuma, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, and Wiaan Mulder delivered precisely that.
Rabada (4/77) and Harmer applied the pressure in Australia’s second innings, but it was Mulder who provided the crucial breakthroughs in a lion-hearted spell on either side of the tea interval.
Mulder (3/64) finally managed to remove the resolute Scott Boland after the nightwatchman faced 166 balls for his 40. Boland’s resistance came to an end when Mulder sneaked through his dogged defence.
The all-rounder celebrated again shortly afterwards when he rearranged Australian captain Pat Cummins’ stumps to leave the Proteas on the brink of victory.
However, it was left to Rabada to clean-bowl Mitchell Starc before Jansen delivered the deliver the coup de grâce when last-man Josh Hazlewood edged behind to Aiden Markram at second slip.
Bavuma deserves enormous credit for leading from the front, while Jansen’s all-round contribution underlined his growing status at the world's best Test all-rounder.
The Proteas now head to Newlands with renewed confidence in their bid to win successive series against the Aussies on home soil.