Durban: Australia, led by Pat Cummins, delivered a crushing 214-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test of the series on Tuesday, achieving two significant milestones with a commanding victory.
This was Australia’s first Test series in South Africa since the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal, when several Australian players, including Steve Smith and David Warner, were involved in using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball.
Bavuma Loses a Test for the First Time as Captain!
Australia faced South Africa for the first time in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle after the Proteas defeated them in the June 2025 WTC final to become world champions. Australia responded emphatically on Tuesday, handing South Africa a humiliating 214-run defeat.
In the process, Australia not only avenged its WTC final loss but also ended an extraordinary record held by South African captain Temba Bavuma. South Africa suffered its first Test defeat under Bavuma’s leadership. Before this match, the Proteas had won 11 of the 12 Tests played under his captaincy, with the remaining match ending in a draw.
Having taken a 1-0 lead in the series, Australia scored 390 in its first innings before bowling South Africa out for 284. With a lead of 106 runs, Australia declared its second innings at 314/6, setting South Africa a challenging target of 421.
Despite opener Aiden Markram’s contribution of 75 runs, South Africa were eventually bowled out for 206.
Matt Renshaw Named Player of the Match
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was the leading wicket-taker, claiming six wickets in the match. Matt Renshaw also made an impact with his off-spin, picking up two wickets.
However, Renshaw emerged as the undisputed hero of the contest with a magnificent all-round performance. He scored 190 runs in the first innings and followed it up with another 82 in the second, earning the Player of the Match award.
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