Proteas surge to innings triumph in epic turnaround over Aussies

Australia were bowled out in consecutive innings to lose a Test for the first time in almost 40 years as South Africa completed one of the great turnarounds in Gqeberha to set up a dream series decider.

Hardly 48 hours before their final-session triumph was fittingly clinched by Marco Jansen, the Proteas had slumped to 6-110 after two rain-interrupted days and the Scott Boland-led visitors appeared to be galloping towards a 2-0 series lead.

But subsequent batting efforts of 99 and 295, the second marginally less dismal than the first, saw the hosts ride the Eastern Cape's vicious wind to an innings-and-31-run triumph in fading light.

That was despite almost two cumulative days being lost to rain and their fastest bowler (Anrich Nortje, who suffered a groin injury) only sending down 21 balls for the Test. It has levelled the series heading into next week's Cape Town finale.

Only a chameleon-like Travis Head (121 off 190 balls), obdurate nightwatcher Boland (40 off 166) and the enterprising Alex Carey (37no off 69) offered any sustained fifth-day resistance.

Familiar batting frailties were exposed by Kagiso Rabada (4-77) and stump-to-stump merchant Wiian Mulder (3-64) with Steve Smith dismissed in equally regrettable circumstances to Marnus Labuschagne's the preceding day.

Smith, demoted to No.7 due to a neck complaint, admirably emerged after the ever-nagging Mulder finally broke Head's staunch resistance. He then inexplicably attempted to drag Rabada, wielding the second new ball, from well wide of the off-stump line towards the leg-side boundary.

Temba Bavuma could not watch as Matthew Breeztke settled under the high ball. A few hours later, South Africa's skipper was jumping with glee as Josh Hazlewood's edge to second slip off Jansen sealed the remarkable comeback.

It was Jansen's sixth wicket for the match, coming after his 100-ball 85 – along with Bavuma's brilliant 179 – underpinned SA's 9d-425 through the first three days of the second Test.

Australia have suffered innings defeats in Galle in 2022 and Nagpur in 2023 but not since they were bundled out for 165 and 116 against Pakistan in Karachi in 1988 have they been rolled twice on the trot. 

After the blustery rain knocked out the entire first session, Head's second Test century abroad was acknowledged with minimal fanfare. It deserved more; while it was the least exhilarating, it was also the most dogged of Head's 13 Test hundreds as well as Australia's first after following on since David Boon saved the 1988 Bicentennial Test.

Of the Proteas' four frontline bowlers remaining, Wiian Mulder loomed as the least likely to trouble the set Head.

But, having already accounted for Smith the previous day, the bustling medium pacer again darted one back towards the left-hander who could only parry it onto his stumps. A similar fate befell Boland to end his longest Test innings.

Batting at seven, Smith was as troubled by Mulder the second go around. His edge on zero was too thick for Ryan Rickelton standing up to the stumps. But the sense not all was right with Australia's fastidious batting veteran grew with his exit to Rabada.

Bavuma was nearly vindicated for not watching the outcome of Smith's skied hoick as Breetzke only clung on after his initial fumble popped up for a simple second grab.

Boland admirably pressed on into the final session but again it was Mulder's seam movement that did the trick for the hosts, the right-armer's off-cutter sneaking through the nightwatcher's defences to end a near-day long vigil. 

After his impressive batting performance in Durban, captain Cummins was unable to repeat the dose and save his beleaguered side, as he too fell victim to Mulder, who bowled a fourth Australian for the match and put South Africa within touching distance.

Starc's second exit to Rabada in 24 hours came via another clattering of stumps, which were exposed by his lusty attempted drive.

It hastened the end with Carey, batting at No.8 after the reshuffle, left only with Hazlewood, who survived just one delivery before Jansen completed the visitors' humiliation.

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

Second Test: South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa squad for second Test: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster