South Africa Crush Australia by an Innings in Gqeberha to Force a Cape Town Decider

South Africa vs Australia 2nd Test: South Africa beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs at St George's Park, Gqeberha, on 22 October, levelling the three-match series 1-1 despite losing two days to rain. The decider starts at Newlands, Cape Town, on Tuesday, 27 October.

Scores (as of 23 October 2026): South Africa 425 for 9 declared (Temba Bavuma 179, Marco Jansen 85, Simon Harmer 82; Scott Boland 5 for 81). Australia 99 (Jansen 5 for 33) and 295 (Travis Head 121; Kagiso Rabada 4 for 77, Wiaan Mulder 3 for 64).

Turning point 1: the recovery from 40 for 4

South Africa were 40 for 4 and later 110 for 6 in their first innings, and closed the second day on 97 for 5 with Australia firmly on top. A week earlier Australia had won in Durban by 214 runs.

Bavuma's career-best 179 changed everything. Jansen (85) and off-spinner Harmer (82) stayed with him, and the lower order took South Africa to 425 for 9 declared. Boland's 5 for 81 deserved better. The lesson: Australia let a side that was six down in its first innings add more than 300 runs.

Turning point 2: all out for 99

Australia were then bowled out for 99, with Jansen taking 5 for 33, and South Africa enforced the follow-on. In a Test that had already lost so much time to rain, that call was the match-winner. Batting again would have cost South Africa the overs they needed to bowl Australia out twice. Making Australia follow on is rare; the BBC noted it was only the third time this century.

Turning point 3: Mulder breaks the resistance

Australia fought on the final day, which began only at noon after rain washed out the morning session. Head reached a hundred off 151 balls and made 121. Nightwatcher Boland defended for 166 balls and more than three hours for 40.

Mulder made the breakthroughs. He bowled wicket-to-wicket wobble seam with wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton standing up to the stumps, which kept the batters pinned in their crease. He removed both Head and Boland. Rabada won his duel with Steven Smith and later had Mitchell Starc, and Jansen finished it under the floodlights when Josh Hazlewood edged to slip, with more than 28 overs left in the day.

Standing up to a medium-pacer is an old tactic making a comeback in Test cricket; our piece on why wicketkeeping is cricket's hardest job explains what it asks of the keeper. And if you want the mechanics behind Mulder's wobble seam, read our swing bowling science explainer.

Key numbers

• Innings and 31 runs: Australia's first innings defeat since 2023 (ESPNcricinfo).
• Bavuma 179: his highest Test score.
• Jansen: 85 runs, plus 5 for 33 in the first innings and the final wicket.
• Nortje injury: South Africa won without Anrich Nortje, who limped off with a groin injury during the match.

What it means for Cape Town

The reigning World Test champions have the momentum. Australia were bowled out for 99 here, and former Australia bowler Jason Gillespie said on ABC Grandstand that "something will change" in their line-up. The key question for South Africa is Nortje's fitness, after Mulder showed he can carry a heavier workload.

New to the longest format? Start with our guide to Test, ODI and T20 formats, or see more international cricket.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo match report, BBC Sport, AP News, eNCA, The Guardian.