The South Africa boss won the Test series in Australia to claim the top spot after 10 years

Brief results: South Africa (329 and 387) beat Australia (429 and 111) by 176 runs in the third Test at Newlands, Cape Town.

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South Africa produced a sensational performance in Cape Town to beat Australia by 176 runs in the third and deciding Test to clinch the series 2-1 and regain the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for the first time in more than a decade. At Newlands, the Proteas completed a remarkable turnaround after Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer helped the hosts bowl out Australia for 111 in pursuit of 288 on day five to seal a memorable victory.

It was a particularly sweet triumph for South Africa, who last topped the Test rankings in January 2016. A decade later, they returned to the top by beating the visitors in a hard-fought series. For Australia, meanwhile, Cape Town has once again become a site of painful memories, although this time the damage was done on the pitch rather than through the controversy that engulfed their 2018 tour.

Memories of the infamous Sandpaper Gate scandal that took place at Newlands in March 2018 have followed Australia back to Cape Town. Eight years later, the same venue witnessed another difficult chapter in their cricketing history as South Africa outplayed them when it mattered most.

After Australia swept the first Test, South Africa responded emphatically in the second before delivering the decisive blow in the series finale. After conceding the lead in the first innings, the hosts fought back with excellent contributions from their batsmen to set Australia a challenging target of 288.

RABADA WILL BREAK AUSTRALIA’S BACK SOON

Kagiso Rabada took 3 wickets in the second innings. Courtesy: AFP

Kagiso Rabada laid the foundation for the victory as he tore through Australia’s top order with a crushing opening spell. The right-arm pacer finished with figures of 14-4-39-3 and struck three crucial blows that left the visitors reeling in the run chase.

Rabada struck in the first over, removing Matt Renshaw for a duck before trapping Marnus Labuschagne lbw just three deliveries later. Australia were suddenly 5 for 2 and the pressure was mounting on their middle order. The South African quick wasn’t done yet, dismissing Travis Head for 14, leaving the visitors struggling at 22 for 3.

It was a ruthless display of fast bowling from Rabada, who combined pace, movement and accuracy to expose Australia’s vulnerability against the new ball. His dismissal of Head was particularly significant as the left-hander had the ability to reverse a chase with an aggressive counter-attack.

Rabada’s knocks also brought a major personal milestone as he became the latest South African bowler to reach 350 Test wickets. He gave his team the perfect platform, but the work was far from over.

HARMER SPINS THE WEB ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Simon Harmer rocked Australia with a six-wicket haul in Cape Town. Courtesy: AFP

If Rabada had broken Australia’s backbone, Simon Harmer had ensured there was no escape. The off-spinner produced a remarkable spell of 21.1-14-16-6, using the turn and uneven bounce at Newlands to break down Australia’s middle and lower order.

Harmer’s spell was among the best by a South African spinner against Australia. His six-wicket haul was the best for the Proteas against visitors since Hugh Tayfield’s 7-81 in Melbourne in 1952.

The spinner first removed Alex Carey and Cooper Connolly in quick succession before accounting for Mitchell Starc. Cameron Green, who offered some resistance, eventually fell for 27 after struggling to negotiate Harmer’s accuracy and spin. Harmer then returned to dismiss Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to complete a memorable performance.

Australia, who started the day believing they could handle a tough chase, were reduced to 60 for 7 by lunch. The collapse left them with a huge task and Harmer’s relentless accuracy ensured the target remained out of reach.

However, there was some backlash from the Australian tail. Cummins and Nathan Lyon put together a determined rear guard and refused to give up without a fight. Cummins in particular showed remarkable patience as he faced 40 balls before getting off the mark. He ended up scoring 11 off 90 deliveries while Lyon top-scored with 33.

Their partnership frustrated South Africa for a considerable period, but Harmer eventually found a way through Cummins’s defense to catch the Australian captain lbw. Hazlewood’s appeal soon after ended the contest.

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