The opening Test of Australia’s tour of South Africa in Durban is poised for a dramatic final day, with the visitors on the cusp of a defining victory that would snap the Proteas’ lengthy unbeaten streak under captain Temba Bavuma. Day four of the five-day contest delivered a series of pivotal twists that left South Africa staring down an uphill battle, still requiring 319 runs to secure a win with just six wickets in hand at the close.
Matt Renshaw, playing just his second Test after a three-year hiatus from international cricket, continued his dream comeback to anchor Australia’s second innings. Fresh off a blistering 190 in the first innings, the 30-year-old batter compiled an 82-run knock that allowed Australian captain Pat Cummins to declare the team’s second innings at 314 for six. In a storybook moment that capped off his extraordinary day, Renshaw, bowling part-time off-spin, claimed his first ever Test wicket in the final hour of play: dismissing Bavuma caught at short leg to put the Proteas further on the back foot.
Cummins followed Renshaw’s breakthrough with a clinical display of fast bowling to remove Tristan Stubbs, leaving the Proteas reeling at 102 for four at stumps. Set a daunting target of 319 runs to win – which would have broken the record for the highest successful run chase in Test history – South Africa’s only realistic path is to bat out the entire final day to force a draw.
South Africa’s position is all the more surprising given their dominant record under Bavuma’s leadership: the Proteas have won 11 of their 12 Tests under his captaincy, including a victory over Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord’s that booked their place in the decider. This series is the opening fixture of a busy home summer for South Africa, which will see them play two more Tests against Australia, two against Bangladesh, and three against England across the Christmas period.
Even poor light, which had cut short play on the first three days of the contest, failed to give South Africa a reprieve on the fourth evening. The Proteas’ hopes of forcing a draw now rest almost entirely on the shoulders of opener Aiden Markram, who remained unbeaten on 45 after facing 115 balls by the close. Markram has a proven track record of fourth-inning success against Australia – he scored a match-winning 136 in the WTC final – and his fourth-innings Test average of 45.56 is bettered only by Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis among currently active players.
That said, pulling off a survival draw will require an unprecedented effort from Markram and his remaining batting partners. Over the past 13 years, only two teams have survived 140 overs to save a Test match. While the pitch played calmly during Markram and David Bedingham’s 66-run sixth-wicket stand, the surface started to offer significant spin by the close of play, even allowing part-time bowler Renshaw to generate extravagant turn. One key stat works in Markram’s favor, however: he has faced 313 deliveries from Australia’s star spinner Nathan Lyon in Test cricket without ever being dismissed.
Australia may be without one of their key assets in the field on the final day, though, after former captain Steve Smith suffered a blow to the helmet from an Anrich Nortje bouncer while scoring 27 on day four. Smith left the field for treatment, casting minor doubt over his availability for the final day’s play.
The match got off to a quick start for Australia when Ryan Rickelton top-edged a loose pull shot to Josh Hazlewood in the fourth over of South Africa’s second innings, with Hazlewood finishing the day with two wickets for just 20 runs. What remains to be seen is whether the bad light that disrupted the first three days will return on the final day, and if Australia’s decision to bat until the tea break on day four to set a bigger target will pay off.