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Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test Full Commentary
Result · Oct 18 2026, Sun - 01:30 PM (IST)
AUS 99/10, 295/10 (107.1)
SA 425/9 (127.1)
Day 5: South Africa beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs
CRR:2.75
Player Of The Match
Welcome back. The two umpires and players have made their way to the middle. It will be the left-handed duo of Nic Maddinson and Travis Head to open the innings for Australia. Playing his first competitive game since May, Kagiso Rabada will steam in first up. Let's go...
... SECOND INNINGS ...
Australia made to toil - Scott Boland was the standout for Australia, picking up a five-wicket haul. Australia found it difficult to make inroads today, and even the second new ball failed to bring them much success. Pat Cummins went wicketless, and Josh Hazlewood seemed not at his best after recovering from a stomach bug. A challenging passage of play awaits the tourists, with the Proteas raring to have a crack at the Australian batters. Back in a bit for Australia's reply.
A comeback carved in grit - What a fightback this has been from the Proteas, who had their backs against the wall at the start of the day. They needed something special to be rescued from trouble, and it was Temba Bavuma who put his hand up, finding support along the way from Marco Jansen and then Simon Harmer. The 183-run stand between Harmer and Bavuma was a record for the 8th wicket for South Africa in Tests, as the Proteas added 315 runs after being 110/6.
OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Australia finally manage to dismiss Temba Bavuma and with that, Bavuma has decided to declare. South Africa finish on 425/9. Starc begins from around the wicket and hits the good length, around the off pole. Bavuma had to play at it and presents a straight bat for the block. The ball straightens off the seam ever so slightly to graze the outside edge. The keeper, Alex Carey, dives forward to gobble it up. 250th catch in Tests for Carey. Starc finishes with 3 wickets.
South Africa keep batting. Kagiso Rabada walks out to bat. Mitchell Starc returns to the attack.
OUT! TIMBER! Marnus Labuschagne breaks through for Australia. End of a marathon 183-run stand. Flighted delivery, full and in line with the off stump. Harmer gets down on a knee and goes hard on the sweep, looking to play it square of the wicket. The ball is a bit too full for the shot and it sneaks under the blade to crash into the off pole. A standing ovation for Simon Harmer, who is gutted to miss a maiden Test hundred but walks off to warm applause from the crowd and his teammates.
Spinning away, short and outside off. Harmer goes for the cut but misses.
Flat and short, on off. Bavuma plays the late dab towards short third and is pushed through for a quick single by his partner. Temba dives to get home.
This one has been flicked off the back foot wide of deep mid-wicket for two runs.
Harmer goes back in the crease and flicks it away through square leg for a single.
That is flicked off the back foot towards deep mid-wicket for a run.
On off, on a back of a length. Bavuma punches it to deep point for one.
'Not Out, Marnus', says Alex Carey from behind the stumps. Marnus Labuschagne was the only one to go up in an appeal for stumping. Moving away off the seam, on a good length. Bavuma plays down the wrong line. Carey, standing up to the stumps, whips the bails off, but Bavuma has his back leg grounded inside the crease.
The slog is played by the batter. Results in a run as the ball goes to deep mid-wicket.
Between overs, Gerald Coetzee came out with drinks, possibly carrying a message, but Temba Bavuma had a message of his own to send to the dressing room.
Good-length delivery, on off. Bavuma glides it behind point for a run.
That is driven through towards covers, but it is neatly stopped.
FOUR! Authoritative shot. Webster bashes the deck but fails to get it high enough to trouble the batter. Bavuma gets his hands high and cracks the pull over the head of the mid-wicket fielder for his 18th boundary. Temba moves to 173, and this is now his highest Test score.
A gentle push by the batter but cannot pierce the gap at cover.
Down leg, Harmer misses out on the glance.
Full and speared in, on middle. Bavuma drops it beside the strip on the leg side and sets off for the single. Alex Carey attacks the ball and has a shy at the bowling end but misses. Temba was home anyway. There is a chance of a second run as the ball rolls to long off but Harmer ran too far past the stumps at the batting end.
On off, on a nagging length, played towards deep cover for one.
FOUR! Nicely adjusted. Dropped short, on middle and leg. Harmer presses back for the pull and even though the ball keeps low, he manages to get it away to the left of deep square leg for a four to move to 79.
Short and on off. Bavuma cuts it to deep point for a single.
Pat Cummins continues to ring in the changes. Here's Nic Maddinson.
On the shorter side, on middle, nudged to mid-wicket.
Moving away off the seam, on a good length. Harmer thinks about playing it but then withdraws his bat.
Oh, hello! Pitched up, outside off. With mid on up, Harmer walks across to the off side before the release and swings to go over mid on. He does not quite get hold of it and the ball plugs in the outfield in the long on region. Two taken.
Beaten! In the channel, on a good length. Harmer has a fiddle at the ball. Gets beaten on the outside edge.
Ready to go again. Australia's opening combination has been a real Achilles' heel, and Travis Head and Nic Maddinson will need to deliver in the second innings. Kagiso Rabada will steam in first up. Maddinson to face the first ball. Let's go...
... THIRD INNINGS ...
Too hot to handle - That was certainly the case for Australia, who had no answers to South Africa's pace battery. The Proteas were relentless in hitting the right areas, and the pressure eventually told, with Australia offering far too many loose shots. No meaningful partnerships developed, with Steve Smith the only batter to face more than 50 balls, though he had his own struggles with a sore neck.
Who saw this coming? Australia have been bowled out for 99, handing South Africa a massive 326-run lead. The hosts were 110/6 yesterday, but Temba Bavuma's men have turned the game around brilliantly and are now firmly in control. South Africa have enforced the follow-on. Marco Jansen, who made a telling contribution with the bat, has led the charge with the ball too. He holds the ball aloft as the Proteas walk off the field.
OUT! CAUGHT! That sums up Australia's innings. With only one fielder in the deep in front of square, Pat Cummins picks him out. A fuller delivery drifting onto the pads, and Cummins gets low to swing it away but skies it towards deep square leg. Matthew Breetzke settles underneath the swirling ball and takes the catch. South Africa wrap up the innings clinically.
On off, on the shorter side, that is defended solidly.
On a length, on off, played towards covers for a single.
A swing and a miss! Straightening off the deck, on middle and leg, on a back of a length. Cummins backs away and has a swipe across the line.
Into the wicket, over middle. Cummins arches back to play the upper cut can't connect.
Nearly dragged it back on! Fuller and on off. Hazlewood backs away and has a waft at the ball. Ekes out an inside edge that goes behind square leg for a run.
Wider on off, on a back of a length. Hazlewood psuhes away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge.
Josh Hazlewood is the last man in.
OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND. Another one falls. A short stay at the crease for Mitchell Starc. Tighter line, over the off stump from around the wicket, on a back of a length. Starc stays beside the line and has a fiddle at the ball. The ball angles in before straightening enough to take the outside edge and Ryan Rickelton makes no mistake.
A flash and a miss! A bit of a loosener by Rabada, short and wide on off. Starc flays at it but can't connect.
Fuller and on the pads, that is flicked away through mid on for a single.
Down leg, Starc misses out on the glance.
South Africa are cock-a-hoop. Mitchell Starc walks in next.
OUT! CASTLED! Mulder gets the big fish. End of a painful stay at the crease for Steve Smith, who has battled both the South African attack and discomfort in his neck. His resistance finally comes to an end. Hits the good length, on off and middle. Smith stays on the back foot to deal with it but the ball lands and cuts back in towards the right-hander. Smith is late on the ball and does not account for the seam movement. Gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball goes on to crash into the stumps. Australia lose their last recognised batter, needing 130 more runs to avoid the follow-on.
Smith cops a blow! As if the sore neck wasn't causing him enough trouble already. Jagging back in sharply with a bit of extra bounce. Smith hangs back to defend but is beaten on the inside edge and and wears it on the box.
FOUR BYES! That has beaten everyone! Nipping back in off the deck, on a good length, at bail-trimming height around the off stump. Smith shoulders arms. Ryan Rickelton is standing up to the stumps and is undone by the seam movement. The ball clips his fingertips and goes into the fence.
Down leg. Smith misses out on the glance.
Steve Smith takes a couple of painkillers to ease his sore neck, which has been bothering him throughout the session.
Bashes the hard length, on off. Cummins keeps it out on the off side.
FOUR! Marques Ackerman's effort goes in vain. Slanting in at the hips. Cummins stays balanced and just turns it away through square leg. It races across the turf as Ackerman gives chase. He dives to flick it back in but his hand was touching the boundary cushions when he was in contact with the ball, the replays confirm. Australia need 134 more runs to avoid the follow-on.
Across off, that is punched off the back foot but straight to the cover fielder.
On the off stump, fuller in length, steered behind point for a couple of runs.
A nasty delivery! Digs it in short from around the wicket, angled in at the left shoulder. Cummins tries to fend it down initially but the ball keeps rising, and he eventually ends up leaning inside the line to let the ball pass.
11,000 Test runs for Steve Smith! Another monumental milestone for the Australian stalwart. He joins Allan Border and Ricky Ponting as just the third Aussie to enter this elite club and the fastest of the three to get there in terms of matches (126). But there is barely a fuss from Smith. He puts his head down and gets straight back to work. On a hard length, on off. Smith hops and dabs it in front of square on the off side for a single.
Brings the stumps into play, does Mulder. Pat has just watchfully blocked this out.
Outside off, on a length, left alone by Pat.
Test cricket, you beautiful thing - Two days into this Test, a South Africa win seemed the least likely of the possible outcomes, and it looked like Australia's game to lose. And lose they did. The Proteas showed why they are the current holders of the WTC mace, pulling off a remarkable turnaround to level the series. The two teams now head to Cape Town for the decider, where the infamous 'Sandpapergate' unfolded in 2018. The third Test begins on Tuesday, 27th October, and we hope the crowd turns up in full voice for what promises to be a cracking contest. The first ball will be bowled at 8.30 am GMT, but as always, we will be here nice and early for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!
The skipper of Australia - Pat Cummins reflects on the defeat. Mentions that they did show some good fight with the bat, singling out the way Head and Boland resisted for a good period of time. He admits that Australia were a long way away from their best. Adds that while everyone contributed in the previous week despite a slow start in Durban, Cummins feels not enough players stood up across the board this time. Cummins defends Australia's team balance, saying they are fortunate to have plenty of all-rounders to call upon and does not see it as an issue. He points to Boland and Head's innings as the blueprint, stressing the need to weather the storm against quality bowlers while knowing that runs are available. With the series level at 1-1, Cummins says Australia have a few days to assess where things went wrong, adding that the pitch was good and that the match mirrored last week's contest, with one side seizing early wickets and suffocating the other.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - The captain of South Africa, Temba Bavuma, takes home the award for his phenomenal knock of 179 to pull his side out of trouble. When asked how his heart rate is, he says it is settled now and jokes that the weather also wanted to have a say in the game. Shares that the team were scrambling in the change room as they waited for the weather to clear and were excited at the prospect of getting back on the field. He rates his knock among his best, pointing out that batting was difficult throughout the match. He takes a lot of pride in the effort and says it will give him plenty of confidence, but adds that there is still one Test to go and he will allow himself to soak it all in once the series is over. He also praises the contributions of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Wiaan Mulder across this Test. Bavuma hopes those performances continue to get better and better. He says the key was to stay in the moment, whether that meant extending their time at the crease by another hour or another session, and being ruthless when the opportunity came. Mentions that they pride themselves on playing good, old-fashioned Test cricket and wearing the opposition down. On Nortje's absence, he admits it is a big loss given the extra dimension he brings to the attack. In hindsight, he feels they took a risk by playing him in back-to-back games. However, he is confident they have options available and says they will make a decision when they head to Cape Town.
Time for the presentation ceremony...
Damage done in the first dig - The Proteas quicks were all over Australia in their first innings, and the tourists did themselves no favours with their shot selection. Jansen picked up a five-wicket haul, stepping up at a time when Anrich Nortje was sidelined with a groin issue. South Africa secured a massive 326-run lead and asked Australia to follow on. The tourists showed a lot more fight in their second innings, led by Travis Head, who made the most of being dropped on 5 by Jansen to score his second Test century away from home. Rain delayed the start on the final day, and Head and nightwatchman Scott Boland made South Africa work hard, with Boland facing 166 balls. But once Wiaan Mulder breached Boland's defence, the Proteas were able to finish the job and level the series.
How it all started - It was a wet start to the Test, with two rain-affected days allowing only 43 overs to be bowled. Things got off to a troublesome start for the hosts after they were asked to bat first. Brought in at the expense of Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland made most of the early inroads to leave the Proteas in all sorts of trouble at 110/6 and went on to pick up a five-wicket haul. Temba Bavuma held it all together, and his career-best 179 helped South Africa put together a solid recovery. The tide began to turn through Marco Jansen's counterpunch before a record 8th-wicket stand of 183 between Bavuma and Simon Harmer helped South Africa recover further.
South Africa level the series - Who would have thought the Proteas would win this game, let alone by an innings, after being 110/6 in their first innings? Australia were in a similar position in Durban, but managed to turn things around and register a big win. This time, here in Gqeberha, they found themselves on the receiving end. The Aussies showed plenty of fight in the second innings, but being bowled out for 99 in the first dig left them with too much to do. It all sets up a mouthwatering decider in Cape Town next week.
OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT! And fittingly, it is Marco Jansen who delivers the final blow. A famous, famous win for South Africa, one they will savour for a long time to come. Jansen offers width outside off with a back-of-a-length delivery at 130.2 kmph. Hazlewood backs away, looking to carve it over the off side, exposing his stumps in the process. He gets a massive outside edge, and Aiden Markram snaps up a sharp catch at second slip with a reverse cup over his head. South Africa beat Australia by an innings and 31 runs! Handshakes all round and beaming smiles from the South Africans who managed to get the final few wickets with the gloom circling. The clouds certainly added a layer of anxiety, but Rabada and Jansen got the job done.
FOUR! Shot! On a length, outside the off stump. Carey lets his hands through and lofts it over the top of extra cover for a boundary. But it will be Hazlewood on strike in the next over.
A ball pitched short of a good length on middle stump, nips back in a touch. Carey looks to work it to the leg side but misses the inside edge, with the delivery thudding into his back pad. Hazlewood is quick to set off, but Carey turns him back when he is already halfway down the pitch.
Too full, aiming for the yorker, Carey shovels it to mid on.
On top of off, on a length, Carey punches it to the off side.
Rapid pace, full on the stumps, Carey goes for a flick but inside edges on the pads.
Full on the stumps, clipped down to mid on.
DRINKS BREAK! Adding to the drama, it's time for a breather. With the finish line in sight, it's easy to go searching for that last wicket, but Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen will know better than most that this is the time to keep it simple and stay patient. Australia are now down to their final wicket and hoping against hope, with all their hopes resting on Alex Carey, who will look to farm the strike and keep the fight going.
Had the throw hit, that would have been curtains for Australia! Length-delivery, outside off, Carey hangs back and steers it to the backward point region and sets off for a single to retain the strike in the next over. But Marques Ackerman is close by and picks the ball up and throws in a motion. However, his throw goes off the radar at the batting end and rolls to square leg. Hazlewood had already given up. If Ackerman had taken a second or two before throwing, that would have sent Hazlewood packing.
Attacks the off stump on a good length, Carey alertly blocks it to the off side.
Full and straight, on off, 134.1 kph. Alex Carey is sucked on the front foot to defend, but it goes off the outside half and rolls to deep third.
Hammered hard into the pitch, at the pads. Carey steers it to the square leg region.
A sharp bouncer outside off, Carey is not interested to play at that.
That bail-trimming length, on off, Carey trusts the bounce and leaves.
Temba Bavuma does not want to take any chances with a big cloud looming overhead. He brings back Marco Jansen.
Good-length delivery around off. Hazlewood blocks it to cover.
A rash shot from Mitchell Starc, and one that was completely uncalled for in this situation. Josh Hazlewood is the last man in.
OUT! BOWLED'EM! A ripper of a delivery by Rabada, and he gets his fourth. He is back, and how! After hitting a couple on a length, Rabada cannons it full on the stumps. Mitchell Starc does not move his feet and swings down the wrong line. Hears the death rattle as the ball disturbs the leg stump, with bails flying in either direction. Lovely sight for any fast bowler, and Rabada is engulfed by his teammates. Australia are 290/9, trailing by 36 runs. The South Africans are delighted, and why not? They are just one wicket away from a famous win.
A bit more effort on this ball from Rabada. Hits the length hard, angling down the leg side. Starc misses the glance to the keeper.
Length-delivery, on off, Starc knocks it to short cover.
Back of a length, on off, punched to cover.
A whisker! Rabada steams in from around the stump and lands it just outside the off stump. It keeps angling in but Starc makes a very risky leave as it whistles over the woodwork.
Kagiso Rabada is back. St George's Park is bathing in sunshine, but a big grey cloud is closing in, and the ground staff are moving towards the covers.