South Africa made a remarkable turnaround to defeat Australia by an innings and 31 runs in the second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on 22 October 2026. The big victory put the three-match series in a state of play at 1-1 and set up a very important final match in Cape Town.
And it was especially impressive because South Africa had not been able to score much in the opening stages of the match. Australia appeared to have a great chance to take the series lead but the Proteas displayed a strong batting and relentless bowling.
Even with rain disrupting the early part of the match, South Africa kept up their pressure and eventually secured the victory on the fifth day.
Temba Bavuma Leads South Africa’s Recovery
South Africa’s first innings started poorly, with the hosts losing early wickets to an accurate Australian bowling attack. At 110/6, the team appeared to be in serious trouble.
But Temba Bavuma had a fine innings of 179 runs. He showed patience, concentration and good shot selection to rescue his team from a difficult position.
Marco Jansen contributed a valuable 85, and Simon Harmer added 82 runs. Their contributions helped South Africa recover dramatically and declare at 425/9.
Scott Boland was Australia’s best bowler with five wickets for 81 runs. But South Africa’s recovery gave the hosts a significant advantage.
Australia Collapse in the First Innings
Australia's first innings was disastrous as the visitors were dismissed for just 99 runs. South Africa's bowlers exploited the conditions and prevented the Australian batters from establishing meaningful partnerships.
The collapse gave South Africa a huge lead and placed Australia under enormous pressure. The visitors needed a much stronger second innings to avoid defeat.
Their situation highlighted how quickly a Test match can change when a team loses wickets in clusters and fails to build partnerships.
Travis Head Fights Back With a Century
Australia showed more resistance in their second innings with Travis Head as the key batsman. The aggressive left-hander made 121 runs to give his team a much-needed individual performance.
Head tried to rebuild Australia’s innings but wickets kept falling around him. Scott Boland also showed much determination in scoring 40 from 166 deliveries as Australia fought to extend the contest.
South Africa’s bowlers remained disciplined. Kagiso Rabada took four wickets for 77 runs and Wiaan Mulder took three wickets for 64. Their efforts meant Australia could not turn its improved batting performance into a match-saving recovery.
Australia were eventually dismissed for 295 to give South Africa victory by an innings and 31 runs.
Marco Jansen Seals a Famous Win
Marco Jansen made another crucial contribution, taking five wickets for 33 runs in Australia’s second innings and claiming the last wicket to complete South Africa’s victory.
His performance underlined his growing importance as a match-winning all-rounder. Jansen had turned a tough match into a memorable one alongside Bavuma’s century and Harmer’s contribution.
Series Decider Awaits in Cape Town
The win took the series to 1-1 after Australia won the first Test in Durban by 214 runs.
South Africa will now have great confidence going into the third Test, starting on October 27, 2026, in Cape Town. Australia, however, has to be more disciplined against its batting after it was dismissed for less than 100 in the first innings of the second Test.
The Gqeberha match was not a last-ball thriller but it was a turnaround. South Africa showed resilience, patience and bowling discipline to get to one victory in the series to win it.
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