South Africa had to lose control of Newlands before they could take it back.

They conceded a 100-run first-innings lead, slipped to 181/5 in their second innings and were staring at Australia dictating the Test.

Instead, the Proteas produced the fightback that delivered a 176-run victory, a 2-1 series triumph.

Australia were playing a Test series on South African soil for the first time since the 2018 tour that became infamous for Sandpapergate; their previous meeting was the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord's, where South Africa won by five wickets.

It was also their first home Test series in more than a year.

SA reached 329 in their first innings, with Aiden Markram making 78 and Marques Ackerman 95, before Mitchell Starc's 6/72 helped Australia seize the initiative.

Matthew Renshaw and Travis Head added 58 before Renshaw and Cameron Green put on 126.

Josh Inglis and Alex Carey then produced the biggest stand of the innings, adding 185 and helping Australia reach 429.

That left the hosts 100 runs behind.

Their second innings did not start as planned.

Markram fell for one, David Bedingham for 11 and Ackerman for 62. Skipper Temba Bavuma made 35, but his dismissal left South Africa 131/4 before Matthew Breetzke (43), who guided SA to stumps on day three alongside Ryan Rickelon, fell on the fourth morning as slipped to 181/5.

That was when Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder changed the Test.

The pair absorbed Australia's pressure and added 154 for the sixth wicket, with Rickelton making 101 and Mulder 115carrying the home side to 387.

The 100-run deficit had become a lead of 287 and the visitors needed 288, but the Proteas bowling attack were not done yet.

Kagiso Rabada struck early, removing Travis Head, Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne as Australia fell to 22/3 with Head's dismissal bringing up Rabada's 350th Test wicket, as he finished the innings with 3/39 and fetching 4/137 in the match.

Jansen had already reached a milestone. Entering the Test on 99 Test wickets, he took three in Australia's first innings — Renshaw, Green and Cooper Connolly — to move beyond 100 and finish with 3/60.

But the defining performance belonged to Simon Harmer.

After taking 4/104 in Australia's first innings, Harmer produced career-best Test figures of 6/16 in the fourth innings. He bowled 21.1 overs, including 14 maidens, completed a 10-wicket match haul and was named Player of the Match.

Their first innings had been built on partnerships; their second produced nothing comparable. Green's 27 was their highest score among the top eight, while Nathan Lyon's unbeaten 33 became the top score.

Cummins and Lyon added 45 for the ninth wicket, but only delayed the inevitable. Cummins faced 90 balls before Harmer trapped him lbw for 11, and Hazlewood was then bowled for a duck.

Australia were all out for 111, a contrast that explains South Africa's victory better than the final margin alone.

Australia dominated significant periods, but SA repeatedly found a response. They recovered from the deficit, rebuilt from 181/5 and then used Rabada and Harmer to turn 288 into an insurmountable target.

After losing the opener in Durban by 214 runs, the Proteas responded with an innings-and-31-run victory in Gqeberha before producing another fightback to win the decider.

The last Australian Test tour of South Africa was remembered for Sandpapergate. This time, the defining moments were South African: Jansen passing 100 Test wickets, Rabada reaching 350, Rickelton and Mulder rescuing the second innings, and Harmer producing the spell of his career.

South Africa's journey through the Test was captured by the numbers: 329, 429, 387 and finally Australia 111.

They lost control. They fought back. Then they took it for good.

The Herald