South Africa's Pace Attack Levels Test Series 1-1

South Africa’s pace bowlers took Australia’s final four wickets on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, to seal an innings-and-31-run victory at St George’s Park in Gqeberha and level the three-match Test series at 1-1. Australia fell for 295 in its second innings during the last session, after rain wiped out the morning’s play. A decider in Cape Town now awaits.

Wiaan Mulder claimed three of the final four wickets, dismissing Travis Head, Scott Boland and Australian captain Pat Cummins. Kagiso Rabada bowled Mitchell Starc, then Marco Jansen finished the innings when Josh Hazlewood edged a first-ball delivery to the slips. Alex Carey ended unbeaten on 37. Rabada took 4-77 on his return from a lengthy injury layoff, while Mulder finished with 3-64. Rabada and Jansen each claimed six wickets in the match.

The innings that changed the match

South Africa stood at 110-6 when play resumed on the morning of the third day, after much of the first two days had been washed out. Captain Temba Bavuma’s career-best 179 and Jansen’s rapid 85 helped the hosts recover before they declared at 425-9 late on day three. Australia then collapsed for 99 and had to follow on.

South Africa lost Anrich Nortje to a suspected groin injury in his fourth over. He didn’t bowl again in Australia’s second innings. Australia resumed at 156-4 on Thursday after rain wiped out the morning session.

Head, unbeaten on 87 overnight, made 121 from 190 balls. He reached his 13th Test century from 151 balls, hitting his 12th boundary, and recorded his second Test hundred outside Australia. Mulder ended nearly 90 minutes of South Africa’s unsuccessful attack when a rising delivery made Head chop the ball onto his stumps.

Steve Smith, who had a neck problem in the first innings on Wednesday, came in at No. 7, three places below his usual position. He made three before mis-hitting a delivery from Rabada, the second new-ball bowler. Matthew Breetzke juggled the catch at midwicket, then held on at the second attempt.

South Africa closes the innings

Boland, the nightwatchman, scored a Test-high 40 from 166 balls and reached tea alongside Carey. Mulder bowled him through the gate soon after the interval. Cummins made four before Mulder clean-bowled him in the next over.

Rabada returned as dark clouds gathered and bowled Starc for 11. Jansen dismissed Hazlewood with a first-ball edge caught behind, finishing the innings before looming bad weather could stop play.

Bavuma, named player of the match, said South Africa had tried to stay focused through the rain delays. “When we were batting it was all about how we could extend the innings and keep on batting another hour, then another session, keep (the Australia bowlers) on their feet because that has an affect,” he said. “With the ball, we were as ruthless as we could be.”

He called the team’s approach “good old test cricket,” explaining that the plan was to wear down the opposition and take it down when an opportunity came. Speaking to SuperSport, he said Australia “made us work hard for those final six wickets,” and added that there was “a great feeling in the changing room right now.”

A decider in Cape Town

Bavuma said batting had been tough, especially against the new ball, and that keeping the series alive meant a lot to him. He praised Rabada for taking pressure and allowing the other bowlers to do their work, and said Jansen “came out firing in both innings.”

Cummins said Australia “was a long way from our best” and called the match “a reverse of last week.” He also said Boland and Head had shown “some good fight,” but added that Australia’s first-innings 99 was “a fair way to come back from.” South Africa lost the opening Test in Durban by 214 runs. The final Test at Newlands in Cape Town starts on Tuesday.