By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: CSA.
The series is level at 1–1, but the stakes stretch beyond the result. South Africa can claim a rare home series victory over Australia and move to the top of the Test rankings, while Pat Cummins’ side must answer serious questions about its batting.
Cape Town has a habit of bringing South Africa and Australia back to unfinished business.
Eight years after their combustible 2018 series, the teams return to Newlands with the contest level, a place at the top of the world rankings within reach for the hosts and an Australian side under pressure to show that its collapse in Gqeberha was an aberration rather than a warning.
Neither team has travelled a straightforward route to the deciding Test. Australia won the opener in Durban by 214 runs after Matt Renshaw’s 190 rescued their first innings and their bowlers exploited South Africa’s batting mistakes.
The response in Gqeberha was emphatic. Temba Bavuma’s 179 helped South Africa reach 425 for nine declared, before Marco Jansen’s five for 33 and Kagiso Rabada’s pace reduced Australia to 99. South Africa eventually won by an innings and 31 runs, levelling the series despite losing substantial time to rain.
The challenge now is to produce a complete performance. Both teams have shown they can recover from difficult positions, but neither has yet delivered the consistency expected of sides competing at the top of Test cricket.
For South Africa, the opportunity is significant. A victory would secure a home series win over Australia for only the second time since readmission, take them to No. 1 in the Test rankings and strengthen their defence of the World Test Championship title.
The Proteas have already drawn a series in Pakistan and beaten India in India during the current championship cycle. Beating Australia at home would add another substantial result to that record.
Ryan Rickelton, who took the wicketkeeping gloves in Gqeberha, has been careful not to get ahead of himself. “Australia, for a long period of time, have been the No. 1 team in the world and a superior team as well,” he said. “For us to even beat them in our conditions is massive.”
Rickelton believes South Africa must look beyond a single series if they are to establish themselves consistently among the best teams. England are due to visit this summer, followed by Bangladesh, and the prospect of another World Test Championship final remains a major motivation.
“When we won the WTC, Temba spoke to us. It’s not just about this game. It’s about trying to leave a longer lasting impression and to try and back that up,” Rickelton said. “And to back that up, you have to beat some of the best teams in the world.”
The return of Rabada was central to South Africa’s recovery. His presence gave Jansen greater freedom to attack, while the fielding became more assertive. Jansen’s five wicket haul in the second Test was a reminder of what he can do when he is not carrying the burden of leading the attack alone.
South Africa will need that combination again, as Anrich Nortje has been ruled out with a mild groin injury. Gerald Coetzee, will replace Norje, and should add extra fire to the attack.
Markram is one of the key figures. He has looked assured at times in this series but has yet to turn his starts into a defining innings. He made 75 in Durban’s second innings and has a strong record against Australia, averaging 56.84 across seven Tests with three centuries.
South Africa need him to set a tone against the new ball, particularly with questions still surrounding the reliability of their batting order.
Markram has made clear that personal statistics no longer drive him. “I really just want to try and win games now,” he said. “There’s no better feeling than winning, whether it’s a final or just a normal game.”
Australia arrive with a different set of concerns. Their 99 all out in Gqeberha was a serious failure, and the return of Cameron Green should help restore balance. Green should replace Nic Maddinson, whose four innings produced scores of 0, 48, 0 and 8.
Renshaw, who made 272 runs in Durban, is expected to move back to the top of the order alongside Travis Head.
Green’s position remains a talking point. He is comfortable batting at No. 4 or No. 5 and has recently found a more natural tempo in red ball cricket. “I think I’ve had a lot of experience up and down the order,” he said. “I think I’m well suited at four and five, but obviously we’ve had some pretty incredible cricketers bat in those positions.”
Steven Smith’s fitness is the bigger uncertainty. A neck problem affected him in Gqeberha and he must pass a fitness assessment before selection. Coach Andrew McDonald acknowledged that his availability would depend on how well he progressed in training.
If Smith is unavailable, Marnus Labuschagne’s place at No. 3 becomes less complicated, although the batter remains under scrutiny after a series in which he has struggled to convert starts.
The Australians also face a difficult decision over their bowling attack. The dry Newlands surface is expected to carry around 6mm of grass, and mostly sunny weather is forecast after the interruptions that disrupted the first two Tests.
That could favour the seamers, although Nathan Lyon’s role will depend on how much assistance the surface offers.
The match carries personal milestones too. Bavuma needs seven runs to reach 4,000 in Tests, Rabada is four wickets away from 350 and Jansen has 99 Test wickets. Australia have won four of their seven Tests at Newlands since South Africa’s re-admission, but have lost three of their last four there.
For Cummins’ side, the immediate task is to recover its discipline with the bat and show that the second Test was not a glimpse of deeper problems. For Bavuma’s team, the opportunity is to turn a stirring comeback into a result that carries weight well beyond Cape Town.
The series has not always lived up to its billing, with lopsided results, subdued crowds and interruptions from bad light and rain. Newlands now offers the setting for a more decisive conclusion. South Africa have the momentum. Australia have the experience. Neither can afford another failure.
Play starts tomorrow at 10:30.
Teams:
South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Marques Ackerman, 3 David Bedingham, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Matthew Breetzke, 6 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Simon Harmer, 10 Gerald Coetzee, 11 Kagiso Rabada.
Australia: Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Beau Webster, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.