South Africa beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs in the second Test, with Temba Bavuma’s commanding 179 earning him Player of the Match honours. Marco Jansen’s five-wicket haul then helped bowl Australia out for 99, setting up a comprehensive response to the first-Test defeat and levelling the three-match Test series at 1-1.
Bavuma gives South Africa a decisive platform
South Africa’s 425 for nine declared, compiled across 127.1 overs, proved enough to win without batting again. Bavuma supplied the defining innings, scoring 179, while Jansen’s 85 and Simon Harmer’s 82 gave the hosts substantial support beyond their principal run-maker.
Those three contributions accounted for 346 runs, giving South Africa the depth to withstand Scott Boland’s five wickets. Mitchell Starc took three wickets and Marnus Labuschagne claimed one, but Australia could not prevent the hosts from building a total that would dictate the rest of the match.
Jansen’s five wickets leave Australia chasing the match
Australia’s first innings lasted just 42.3 overs and brought only 99 runs. Steven Smith top-scored with 28, while Travis Head and Labuschagne each made 14 as South Africa established a first-innings lead of 326.
Jansen followed his valuable batting contribution with five wickets. Wiaan Mulder and Kagiso Rabada took two apiece, helping turn South Africa’s strong position into an overwhelming advantage. Australia’s inability to produce a substantial individual innings left them facing the follow-on and a long fight to avoid an innings defeat.
Head’s century and Boland’s resistance cannot save Australia
Australia offered considerably more resistance in their second innings, reaching 295 across 107.1 overs. Head led that effort with 121, providing the substantial innings his side had lacked first time around.
Boland added 40 to his five-wicket contribution with the ball, while Labuschagne made 39. Their resistance forced South Africa to work much harder for the second set of ten wickets, but the damage inflicted by the first-innings collapse remained decisive.
Rabada led the second-innings bowling effort with four wickets, supported by Mulder’s three and Harmer’s two. Despite Head’s century, Australia finished 31 runs short of making South Africa bat again.
Key performers
- Temba Bavuma: Scored 179 in South Africa’s only innings and was named Player of the Match.
- Marco Jansen: Made 85 and took five wickets in Australia’s first innings.
- Simon Harmer: Contributed 82 and claimed two wickets in Australia’s second innings.
- Kagiso Rabada: Took two wickets in Australia’s first innings and four in their second.
- Wiaan Mulder: Claimed two first-innings wickets and three second-innings wickets.
- Travis Head: Followed his first-innings 14 with 121 in Australia’s second innings.
- Scott Boland: Took five wickets in South Africa’s innings and scored 40 in Australia’s second innings.
NerdSports Stat: Bavuma, Jansen and Harmer scored 346 runs between them—51 more than Australia’s entire second-innings total of 295.
Test series level ahead of the decider
Australia had won the opening Test by 214 runs, but South Africa’s emphatic reply levels the Test series rather than deciding it. The teams now head into the third and final Test, beginning Tuesday, October 27, with the score at 1-1.
The tour has already featured a South Africa ODI series victory: the hosts won the first two matches by 67 and 32 runs before Australia took the third by 45 runs under DLS. This Test turnaround sets up another decisive contest between the sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa won the match by an innings and 31 runs.
Temba Bavuma was named Player of the Match for his 179 in South Africa’s 425 for nine declared.
The Test series is level at 1-1, with one Test remaining.
Temba Bavuma top-scored with 179 runs.
South Africa face Australia in the third and final Test beginning Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
