South Africa saved their best for the decider. Chasing 288 on the final day of the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Australia were bowled out for just 111, handing the Proteas a 176-run win and a 2-1 series victory. Off-spinner Simon Harmer did the damage with a career-best 6 for 16, while Kagiso Rabada set a world record on his way to 350 Test wickets.
The result also lifts South Africa to the top of the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, ahead of Australia, for the first time since January 2016.
How the match turned
For most of the first three days, this looked like Australia's Test. Josh Inglis made a first-innings century and the visitors took a 100-run lead. South Africa's reply came on day four, when Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder both struck hundreds and shared a 154-run stand for the sixth wicket. That partnership flipped the game, turning a deficit into a target of 288.
The final morning was brutal for Australia. Rabada struck twice in the first over of the chase, Matt Renshaw fell for a golden duck, and the score slid to 42 for 6. At lunch Australia were 60 for 7 with the match all but gone.
A late stand, then Harmer finishes it
Captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon delayed the inevitable with a stubborn ninth-wicket partnership that lasted more than 17 overs. Harmer eventually trapped Cummins lbw for 11 with the score on 107, and Josh Hazlewood's wicket soon ended the match. Lyon was left unbeaten on 33, the top score of the innings, with Cameron Green making 27.
Harmer finished with 6 for 16 from 21.1 overs and 10 wickets in the match, his first ten-wicket haul in Tests, and was named Player of the Match. He called it "the stuff of dreams for a spinner". Marco Jansen was Player of the Series after scoring 198 runs and taking 13 wickets.
Rabada's record: fastest to 350
Rabada's 350th Test wicket was Travis Head, out for 14 in that fiery opening burst. He reached the milestone in his 75th Test and in just 13,808 balls, the fewest deliveries taken by any bowler in Test history. He finished the innings with 3 for 39.
| Kagiso Rabada | 13,808 balls |
| Dale Steyn | 14,719 balls |
| Waqar Younis | 14,905 balls |
| Malcolm Marshall | 16,285 balls |
| Mitchell Starc | 16,908 balls |
By number of Tests, Steyn remains the fastest South African to 350, having got there in 69 matches. But Rabada's strike rate, a wicket roughly every 39 balls, puts him in a bracket of his own among modern fast bowlers.
Match summary
| Result | South Africa won by 176 runs |
| Venue | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Target | 288; Australia all out 111 |
| Best bowling | Simon Harmer 6-16 (10 wickets in match) |
| Centuries | Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder (SA); Josh Inglis (AUS) |
| Series | South Africa won 2-1 |
| Player of the Series | Marco Jansen (198 runs, 13 wickets) |
A comeback series
The series had started badly for the hosts. Australia won the first Test in Durban by 214 runs, but South Africa hit back in Gqeberha with an innings-and-31-run victory before sealing it in Cape Town. Cummins admitted the difficulty of touring: "We are a really good side but playing tough opponents away from home is always difficult."
What it means for India
Indian fans will be watching the table closely. South Africa, the defending World Test Championship winners after beating Australia in the 2025 final at Lord's, have strengthened their bid to reach next year's final. Every result between the top sides reshapes the race India is also part of, and the Proteas' rise to number one shows how strong their home attack, especially Rabada and Harmer, has become.
What happens next
Australia head home needing answers about their top order after collapsing to 42 for 6 in a must-win chase. South Africa will look to build on the momentum and protect their new number one ranking in their next WTC assignment. Rabada, meanwhile, now has his eyes on climbing further up South Africa's all-time wicket list.
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