Australia suffered a massive batting collapse against South Africa on Day 4 of the second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on October 21, 2026. The visitors were bowled out for just 99 runs as South Africa's bowlers dominated the innings.
Marco Jansen was the star of the show, taking five wickets and putting Australia under enormous pressure. Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder also helped South Africa break through the Australian batting lineup.
That collapse has made South Africa virtually guaranteed to win the match. But Australia will have to fight back and save the Test. The big question now is whether the visitors can survive the remaining play or whether South Africa will complete a memorable victory.
Marco Jansen leads the attack
Jansen rattled the Australian batters with his pace, bounce and movement. He kept taking wickets at key moments and prevented Australia from building partnerships.
Australia struggled to cope with the South African bowling attack. The batters did not stay at the crease for long periods and wickets fell regularly.
Rabada and Mulder supported Jansen with big breakthroughs to ensure Australia never recovered from their poor start.
But being dismissed for 99 is an embarrassing blow for Australia, especially in a Test match in which batting time is just as important as runs, and the importance of runs when playing in the middle of the match is to be proved more important than the score is that of your batsmanship time.
South Africa Take a Huge Lead
South Africa had already established themselves in a strong position by scoring 425/9 before declaring their first innings.
Captain Temba Bavuma was a key player with 179 as his team scored a big total. South Africa also had contributions from the other batsmen that helped put pressure on Australia.
South Africa was able to win a first innings lead of 326 runs after Australia was bowled out for 99. This leaves the hosts with a big advantage going into the final stages of the match.
South Africa can now push for a result, while Australia must find a way to stay in the game.
Can Australia still force a draw?
Even Australia in such bad shape, a draw is still possible if they can show more patience and determination.
If Australia has to bat again, their batters will have to spend as much time at the crease as possible. They must not take risks and concentrate on building partnerships.
The first challenge will be to survive the opening spell from Jansen and Rabada. If Australia loses early wickets again, South Africa could move closer to victory.
Australia needs their experienced players to be able to spearhead the team and carry the team through the painful times. Long innings from one or two batters might be enough to save the match.
But South Africa’s bowling attack has shown that it can create pressure and take wickets quickly.
Can weather help Australia?
The weather could play an important role in deciding the outcome. Rain or interruptions could reduce the amount of playing time available and make it harder for South Africa to take all the wickets they need.
But Australia can’t depend on the weather. Their batters need to also improve and show that they can cope with the South African attack.
If the weather is dry and South Africa continues to bowl well, the hosts will have a good chance of winning.
South Africa Favourites as Australia Fight for Survival
South Africa are clearly in control after dismissing Australia for just 99. Jansen's five-wicket haul has put the hosts in an excellent position to push for a win.
Australia will still have a chance of saving the match, but a much better batting display and much more discipline is needed.
The remaining play will be key. South Africa will try to finish the job and Australia will have to fight hard to keep from falling behind.
The verdict: South Africa are favourites to win, but Australia’s chances of a draw will depend on their batting ability to hold the ball down and on the weather.
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