Australia's defeat to South Africa affects the WTC 2025-27 table

The Protea team delivered an impressive performance against Australia at Centurion Park in Gqeberha, managing to level the series at 1-1 ahead of the final match in Cape Town next week.

The Thami Bavuma led team secured a victory over Australia by one innings and 31 runs.

After a heavy defeat in Durban, South Africa needed more than just an improved game; they required resilience, character, and decisive performances under pressure. Thami Bavuma, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, and Vian Mulder provided exactly that.

Rabada (4/77) and Harmer put pressure on Australia during the second innings, but the crucial breakthroughs were provided by Mulder in both the first and second sessions.

Mulder (3/64) finally managed to dismiss the tenacious Scott Boland, after this batsman withstood 166 deliveries, scoring 40 runs. Boland's resistance ended when Mulder slipped past his stubborn defense.

Immediately after this, the all-rounder celebrated another success when he dismissed Australian captain Pat Cummins, putting Protea on the verge of victory.

However, it was Rabada who achieved a clean bowling spell against Mitchell Starc, followed by Jansen delivering the decisive blow when the last batsman Josh Hazlewood edged the ball behind Aiden Markram in the second slot.

Bavuma deserves great praise for leading the team, while Jansen's all-round contribution highlighted his growing status as one of the world's best all-rounders in Test matches.

Now Protea heads to Newlands with increased confidence in their attempt to win the series consecutively against the Australians on home soil.

In the second match of the series between South Africa and Australia, taking place in Gqeberha, it is expected that Steve Smith will be able to take the field on the final day. Due to neck strain, Smith was unable to play late on the fourth day. Nevertheless, Australian coach Andrew McDonald expressed confidence that the 37-year-old star batsman would be ready to play on the fifth day.

Australia's situation in the ICC World Test Championship match is extremely difficult. South Africa declared the first innings, scoring 425 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. In response, the Australian team scored only 99 runs and was forced to play a follow-on. By the end of the fourth day, the Australians had scored 156 runs in the second innings, losing 4 wickets, and still need to score 170 runs to overcome the deficit against South Africa.

In the first innings, Smith scored the most runs for Australia—28 runs, and during this period he also reached 11,000 runs in Test cricket. However, after being hit by Kagiso Rabada, his head and neck jerked sharply backward, after which he looked visibly displeased. During the second innings, it was also noticed in the dressing room that a neck support pillow was placed around Smith's neck.

Coach McDonald told the ICC that physiotherapists are working on Smith, and he will play the next day (Thursday). According to McDonald, it is an injury that will not prevent Smith from playing the entire innings, but after the first innings, he required more time than expected. He also noted that even when fully healthy, Smith sometimes changes his technique, but this time he could not realize his potential in the game to the fullest.

By the end of the fourth day, Travis Head was on 87 not out, and fast bowler Scott Boland played for 2 runs. There is a possibility that Smith will take the field on Thursday if the first wicket falls. Australia also has an experienced opening batsman Alex Carey, whose innings has not yet taken place.

McDonald believes that his team can come out of this difficult situation and save the match. The Australian coach added that if the team fails, they will approach the next match in Cape Town with new preparation. He admitted that this is a serious blow to the team, but the ability to recover from difficult circumstances has always been a strength of this team.

Currently, Australia leads this Test series 1-0, so the attempt to draw the second match is of great importance to them, while South Africa aims to level the series.

Following South Africa's defeat by Australia in the first match of the three-match series of test games by a margin of 214 runs, significant changes were made to the South African squad under the leadership of Themba Bavuma. The team star, batsman Tristan Stubbs, was dropped, and Matthew Brightzeke was included in the 17-man squad in his place.

The second match of this series is scheduled for October 18th and will take place at Stuut George Park in Gqeberha. In the first test against Australia, Tristan Stubbs failed to demonstrate outstanding results in batting; he scored 32 runs in the first innings, and his score stopped at one run in the second. It was after this that the team management decided to drop him.

Despite having previously shown an impressive performance of 94 runs in the match against India, his failure against Australia proved decisive. Matthew Brightzeke will get the opportunity to prove his worth in Test cricket. Previously, Brightzeke had played two Tests for South Africa, scoring only 14 runs, but his recent ODI performance strengthened his chances of selection. He scored a century in the first ODI against Australia.

South Africa's head coach, Shukri Conrad, noted that Brightzeke's current form was one of the main reasons for his inclusion, and he highly praised his character and conduct. In the second test, wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton will play as a batsman. After confirmation from coach Shukri Conrad, Kyle Verreyn's place in the starting eleven looks difficult, as he failed to score a half-century in his last 13 Test matches.

South Africa still needs to decide whether Rickelton will open the game or take a lower position in the batting order. If he bats lower, another batsman will need to be chosen to start the game alongside Aiden Markram. Tony De Джорgi, suffering from a hamstring injury, is currently unavailable for selection. Because of this, Matthew Brightzeke might get a chance to start, although inconsistent batsman Marcus Ekerman is also an option.

There is hope that Kagiso Rabada will return to the South African squad for the second test. He could not participate in the first test due to a minor hamstring issue, and the final decision on his fitness will depend on the team's needs and medical assessment. South Africa also has other options in fast bowling, such as Eric Nortje, Marco Jansen, Vian Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Dan Patterson, and Corbin Bosch. Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuren Mutusami remain in the team. Furthermore, heavy rain on the first day of the second test may affect the squad selection, forcing South Africa to choose its starting eleven depending on circumstances.

The South African squad for the second test includes: Themba Bavuma (captain), Marcus Ekerman, David Bellingham, Matthew Brightzeke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Vian Mulder, Senuren Mutusami, Eric Nortje, Dan Patterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreyn.

South Africa's schedule against Australia: First Test – October 9 to 13 in Durban (Australia won by 214 runs); Second Test – October 18 to 22 in Gqeberha; Third Test – October 27 to 31 in Cape Town.