South Africa completed a dominant innings-and-31-run victory over Australia in the second Test at St George's Park in Gqeberha, leveling the three-match series at 1-1 with a day to spare. The result follows directly from Marco Jansen's 5 for 33 that forced Australia to follow on after Temba Bavuma's 179 anchored South Africa's 425 for 9 declared.
Australia resumed day five still deep in trouble following the follow-on, and although Travis Head fought his way to 121 in the second innings, it was not enough to drag the tourists to safety. Wiaan Mulder played a key role in finally ending the resistance, with Australia bowled out well before the close of the final day's play to hand the hosts a comprehensive win.
Bavuma, who had rescued South Africa from 110 for 6 in the first innings before an unbeaten declaration score of 179, was named player of the match for an innings that turned a precarious position into a match-winning total. Jansen's all-round effort, adding 5 for 33 with the ball to his earlier runs, gave South Africa the platform to enforce the follow-on and never let Australia escape from the position it put them in.
The win squares the three-Test series at 1-1 after Australia had won the opener in Durban by 214 runs. Both sides now travel to Newlands in Cape Town for the series decider, due to begin later next week, with each team having shown contrasting strengths across the two venues so far — Australia dominant in Durban, South Africa overwhelming once bat and ball clicked together in Gqeberha.
Beyond squaring the ledger, both results carry weight for each side's position in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, where results against top-ranked opposition move the table meaningfully. A series win at Newlands would give South Africa a response to the Durban defeat that goes beyond simply avoiding a series loss on home soil.
Bavuma and Jansen's twin impact with bat and ball makes both standout picks heading into the decider, while Australia's heavy reliance on Head to carry the middle order is a reminder that his wicket remains the one South Africa's bowlers will target hardest at Newlands.
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The result, margin and series context in this article are verified against same-day reporting and freshly re-checked sources as of October 23, 2026.
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